


Trial of the Trio

by Varydox



Category: Harvest Moon, Story of Seasons, trio of towns
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2018-10-05 14:50:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 52,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10310666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Varydox/pseuds/Varydox
Summary: Bri (MC) remembered when her mother brought her to a farm as a child, and through the years, had dreamt of one day having a farm of her own. But when her father announces they will be moving once more for his career, Bri puts her foot down. After telling her father this dream, a fight breaks out, but eventually he allows her the chance to prove herself. His brother, Frank, is a successful farmer in Westown, a quiet desert town, and suggests Bri learn from Frank, declaring he'll know if she has what it takes.





	1. Westown

**Author's Note:**

> Bri is my character (MC) from my playthrough of Story of Seasons Trio of Towns. In these games, your character is mostly set to do certain things but you can pick and choose certain responses when prompted. But what about the rest of the time? This story will be what I envision Bri's interactions would be if not for the "blank slate" Marvelous and Xseed throw upon MC. This will be doubled along with the personalities of the townsfolk as they progress throughout the game. 
> 
> I may take some creative liberties here and there, I'm not trying to make a walk through. Just a fun story.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri begins her journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey! Welcome to the first of many chapters to come! This story began with our first chapter on March 15th, 2017, and I have gone through to flesh out the first chapter far more than what it first offered. My apologies for any editing mistakes. I do try to proof read, but sometimes things get away from me.
> 
> Update: Dec. 5, 2017: I am in awe that over 800 people have now clicked on this story. Thank you so much for giving this story a shot. I don't think we'd be over 20 chapters in right now if it weren't for you guys giving it a read. In fact, I KNOW I wouldn't have written this many chapters if it weren't for you guys. Motivation can be difficult when life gets in the way, but I will continue to come back to this story because you guys seem to be enjoying it. So, seriously, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Moving was always an incredibly nerve wracking experience. After 18 years of unsteady living, Brianna Bauer was hoping this would be the last time she would need to go through this process, but after the fight with her father, Daryl, she felt uncertainty looming over her. The man driving the horse drawn carriage had stopped commenting on the situation a couple hours into the journey, much to the young woman’s delight. Not that she didn’t like conversation, but she simply had too much on her mind at that moment. She was moving to a new place, for a new career, to meet a family member that she couldn’t even remember. To say that she was anxious would have been an understatement, but there was also something liberating about it as well. 

Bri’s mother, Marlena, was far more supportive about this decision that her daughter was making. She had gone through the trouble of putting together some new clothes, a small amount of money that had been saved up, and some basic essentials like bedding, cookware, and toiletries to help Bri get started. Her sister, Lynn, however, was more than a little annoyed with how much attention Bri was getting over this revelation. 

“Seriously? A farmer? Why would you want to do that?” Lynn had asked when Bri revealed her desires. 

“I have known that this is something I wanted to do for years,” Bri had replied, turning to Marlena and Daryl. “I really think I could do it.” 

Of course, that was when Daryl made his opinion known, that Bri could not be a farmer, and that she didn’t know what she was talking about. Before she had actually said the profession, he seemed pleased at the idea of her leaving the nest. 

Bri sighed at the thought of the fight. Thinking about it made her light headed, and she could feel her heart beating rapidly as she grew upset. Trying to calm herself, she reached behind her head and pulled her long braided dark brown locks around her shoulder, and leaned back. The sun wasn’t even high in the sky yet, and the morning air was cooling to her skin. The spring sky was gorgeous, and as she watched the clouds, she felt herself growing tired. 

_Dad did say the trip would take a few hours, so a nap wouldn’t be too bad._

\------------- 

“Ah, Miss?” 

“Hmm?” Bri bolted upwards, startled by the driver calling her. 

“Mighty sorry to wake you, Miss, but we’ve a bit of a problem.” 

“Oh?” Bri rubbed her eyes, and looked around to see what the issue was. “What’s going on?” 

“Ah, well, one of the horses has started limping, y’see. We might be stuck here for about an hour.” 

Bri nodded and pushed herself off of the cart, and stretched. She wasn’t sure how long she had been sleeping, but she was sore. They both walked around and, indeed, the left horse was holding his front right leg up, and trying not to let it touch the ground. The driver held the horse’s leg and looked under the hoof to find a huge rock lodged in the shoe. He asked Bri to hand him the pick, and with extreme care, managed to dislodge the foreign object. The horse whinnied in discomfort, but at least seemed to bear to have his hoof on the ground once more. 

“I don’t want to push him,” the driver explained. “This old man has been all over the country, y’see. And this good ol’ boy has been by my side for years. They got memories, Miss. I’d never mistreat these fine creatures.” 

Bri simply nodded, unsure of what she should say. She didn’t mind the stop at all, and agreed that it was in everybody’s best interests to keep the animals in good health. The driver continued to ramble on about some of his travels, and Bri found that it was best to simply stay quiet and nod her head every now and again. 

\-------------- 

When they finally reached southern Westown, an overwight man wearing overalls and a straw brimmed hat was waiting at the carriage stop for her, with an enormous smile on his face. Bri could see the resemblance between this man and Daryl, and she surmised that this must be Frank. She had met him before, but she was a baby back then, and couldn’t remember that meeting at all. 

“There she is!” Frank bellowed, gathering her up in a huge hug, squeezing her tight. “Brianna! Yer all grown up!” 

Bri was completely taken aback by this greeting, as she wasn’t much of a hugger, but she tried to be polite and smile. 

“Hey, Uncle Frank,” she said when he had released her. 

“I know, I know, ye probably don’t even remember me,” he chuckled, grabbing her bags off the cart as Bri tipped the driver and followed the large man to his farmhouse. 

“Uh, well, y’know…” she responded, “Dad has a few pictures of you two.” 

“Ha! Marlena probably kept them around! That woman is so good fer Daryl! I dunno what he’d’ve done without her! Come in! Come in!” 

Bri was greeted by an adorable dog named Lucky upon entering Frank’s home, and she knelt down to pet him. Frank let her know that her farm wasn’t quite ready for her yet, but that while the final touches were in progress, he’d be teaching her all that she needed to know. Unbeknownst to her, one of the things she needed to know was that in Westown, there was a common greeting between the townsfolk: hugging. Apparently, Frank had sensed her apprehension at the hug she had received and he apologized for not remembering that people didn’t greet that way where she was from. 

“Now, I’m sure ye’ve had a long day. I’ve already gone ahead and made dinner fer us. Best to hit the hay early, cuz ye gotta wake up early on the farm!” 

\------------------------------------- 

After Frank taught Bri some of the basics of farming, she couldn’t wait to get started. On her first day, she met with the town elder, Megan, who suggested she check out the north part of town where all the shops were. Bri was enamored with the beautiful desert setting, and the quaint charm of the town itself. 

One thing Bri loved about her life in the city, was visiting her friend who worked at a zoo. While her friend had a flare for the exotic wildlife, Bri had always preferred livestock. This did not, however, mean that she didn’t like wild creatures. To live in this more rural area meant that one would require some (at least) basic tolerance of wildlife. While visiting the north end of Westown, she was shocked by the sight of an incredible bald eagle landing right in front of a building. Bri had never seen anything like this before, and was enthralled. 

“Am I dreaming?” she asked herself, outloud. 

“No, ma’am,” a young man's voice answered in a southern drawal. “That right there is a genuine bald eage.” 

Bri directed her attention to the source of the voice, to find one incredibly handsome man. He had crystal blue eyes and amazing curly straw colored hair. From his outfit, she surmised that this must be Westown’s postmaster. 

“O-oh,” she said, admittedly distracted by the good looks of the man in front of her. “Sorry, I probably look so rude. My name’s Bri.” 

"Howdy, Bri,” he smiled at her. “Frank's been talking about ya ever since hearing 'bout ya moving out here. Nothing against Frank, but who'd a thought his niece would be such a cutie!" 

Bri blushed and took a step away from him, and he chuckled. 

“My names Wayne,” he said. “ Welcome to Westown!” 

Wayne gave her a little speech about the town, and as he spoke, they seemed to gather an audience. Bri wasn’t sure where they came from, but a few women, of varying ages, had descended upon Wayne, telling him how handsome he was and how much they loved him. Wayne was a perfect gentleman to each and every one of them, but Bri couldn’t help but realize that he was actually rejecting their advances, while being quite smooth and polite in the way he was doing it. It took a few minutes, but eventually the women went about their days and left the two alone once more. 

"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” he told her, a light blush upon his cheeks. “That happens, sometimes.” 

Although she started to get the idea that he might be a bit of a ladies’ man, Bri began to feel a lot more comfortable around Wayne and she thought he might be a great person to spend time with, he seemed nice enough. Though, she had to admit that he lost some of his flourish after watching him interact with his, um, admirers. 

"So, has anyone given you the grand tour yet?" Wayne asked. 

"No, not yet, I was just going to wander...but if you're offering," Bri replied. 

In response, Wayne held out his elbow in a gentlemanly fashion. 

"Well, m'lady, might I show you what Westown has to offer?" 

Bri actually giggled at this, and took his arm. 

"Why, thank you sir!" 

The town was actually quite large, but didn't appear to have very many residents. Wayne showed her the post office, explaining that they were closed on Saturdays and Sundays, but otherwise if she ever needed to mail something, they were open 9:00 to 16:00. 

She met Ethan, a man about her age of 18, who also worked at the post office at the front desk. He handled incoming shipments, while Wayne took care of delivering them. 

Continuing on, they stopped at the Garden Grill, the local restaurant owned by an older gentleman named Marco, who had left the business to his son, Brad and daughter in law, Carrie. Brad seemed nice enough, but also as though he was trying way too hard to leave a good impression, where Wayne's entire personality seemed genuine, Brad appeared a little awkward, but not unpleasant. Carrie, on the other hand, was as sweet as could be. While Brad was the chef, his wife handled the front of house, and that bubbly personality made her a perfect fit for it. She did mention wanting Bri to try out her latest experimental dish, while Brad made wild hand motions behind her that signified "don't do it", while Wayne just looked on with a smile, though she could sense that he seemed to be silently agreeing with the chef. 

Next was the florist shop, run by Lisette, another kind lady who was also 18, with light blond hair in a cute two pony tail style. Lisette sympathized with Bri, mentioning that Frank had explained the conditions of moving here, and Lisette had similar troubles convincing her family that she could run the shop on her own. While talking with Lisette, a young girl, maybe 7 or 8 with auburn hair came into the shop. Her name was Noel, and she was picking up a bouquet for her mother. Noel was excited at meeting Bri, and practically dragged her to the general store to meet her mother Miranda, a stout, kindly woman in her 40s. It was pretty obvious they were mother and daughter. 

Bri was hitting it off with all of the villagers, but as the tour was coming to a close, they went by one more building. 

"Well, dang it," Wayne said when they approached and found a note on the door. 

"What is it?" Bri asked. 

"Oh, just someone I wanted you to meet. But it seems he's out of town for a few days. That's alright though, I'll introduce the two of you when he comes back." 

\------------------------- 

After about a week at Frank’s, Bri was finally able to head out to her farm. They had to walk out to the Crossroads, a beautiful green area that had 4 large paths, though two of them were blocked. All Frank had said was that the blocked paths led to other towns, and that she would hopefully be able to see them in the near future. 

The farm was a decent sized area of land, that already had a barn and a coop set up for her, along with some great areas to start growing some crops. The house, however, was pretty rundown. It was, with all honesty, a shack. But, Bri did understand that renovations were very expensive. 

After meeting up with Wayne and Lisette in North Westown for dinner, the former walked Bri all the way out to her farm and gave a low whistle at the sight of the house. 

"That can't be safe, Bri!" he exclaimed. 

She gave the house a look, and her heart sank. It was true, the house was more like a rotten woodshed. It was going to take a long time before she could renovate it, and she wasn't even certain that she COULD renovate it. 

"Yeah, but I can't complain. If I really have to, I guess I could sleep in the barn. There aren't any animals in it yet." 

"I wouldn't dream of it! You could stay with me until you can start renovating. Or Lisette or Carrie could give you a place to stay til you get settled." 

"Honestly, it's okay. Thank you, Wayne." 

"Well... If you insist. May I at least invite you to breakfast in the morning? I make a mean omelette. Plus, you could pick up some seeds from the general store after, since it's nearby." 

Bri considered this. The shack didn't have a kitchen, so cooking was off the table, going to breakfast sounded like a pretty good idea. 

"I think I'll take you up on that, thanks!" 

After exchanging a goodbye, Bri went into the shack and turned on the little lamp by the door and sighed. She was completely drained, and for a moment, slumped up against the door, before faking in a deep breath, and standing up straight. Tomorrow, her new journey would truly begin, and she felt ready to take on the first, of what she was certain would be many, trial.


	2. Sunshine Is My Medicine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri meets with an eccentric citizen of Westown, and their relationship leaves a lot to be desired.

Bri's first week on the farm had been eventful. She managed to get a cow and hen by her third day, and named them Iris and Bep, respectively. When they began to produce milk and eggs and her first crops of potatoes were ready to harvest, Bri wanted to make breakfast for her new friends in town using the farm fresh ingredients, to thank them for their support. Brad and Carrie kindly let her use the restaurant kitchen, and the townsfolk truly enjoyed the food. 

After another few days, Wayne stopped by to say that there was someone he wanted Bri to meet. 

"Remember that I said that a friend of mine was away on a trip? He got back last night. He's a very important member of our community, and if you ever run into any health trouble, you'll want him on your side," he explained as they made their way towards town.

"Is he...not friendly?" Bri asked.

"It isn't that, exactly, he's just...a little odd. He's a bit of a clean freak, and can come off as rude, but like I said, he's pretty important."

Once outside the building, Wayne looked Bri over, and frowned. He pulled a piece of hay from her hair, and shook his head.

"I guess I should have given you more warning," he said.

"Something wrong?"

"Again, he's a bit of a clean freak. But you should be ok."

Inside, it became apparent that the building was similar to that of a doctor's office or clinic. Clean freak was right, when Bri looked down at the floor, she could see her reflection staring up at her. The floor was completely spotless, the desk in the corner was void of clutter and dust, medical books were organized short to tall, skinny to fat, color coded, and the privacy screen didn't even have lint on it. 

"Ford! Ya here?" Wayne asked?  
"This is a place of healing, Wayne," an older man's voice answered sternly from the back. "And I am working on something. I shall get to you in a moment. Please have a seat."

Wayne motioned toward a few chairs, where Bri sat down, and he joined her.

"By the way, thank you again for that amazing breakfast the other day. Fresh ingredients really do make a difference!" He said.

"It was my way of saying how much I appreciate everything you all have done for me. Without you, Uncle Frank and everyone else, the ingredients wouldn't have been available."

"You've taken right to farming like a fish to water, Bri. Megan and Frank took years to perfect their craft, and you've done a great job already."

Bri blushed. "I couldn't have done it without them."

After a few more minutes, a man who appeared to be in his early 30s with pale blond hair in a lilac dress shirt, black vest and pants, and a white physicians coat over the outfit. Behind his round glasses, Bri noticed his striking purple eyes, and she was mesmerized by them.

"Hey, Ford," Wayne greeted. "Sorry for barging in. Hope we didn't interrupt anything."

"Actually, you did," Ford responded in a calm tone. "And you were talking so loud, I decided to just get this over with. What is it? Are you ill?"

"Uh..." Wayne said, trying to stifle a laugh. "No, I'm fine, I just wanted you to meet someone. This is Bri, she's moved into that old farm past the crossroads."

For the first time, those purple eyes directed themselves towards the green ones of Bri, but within a millisecond, disconnected as Ford looked her up and down. 

"Um, hello," Bri greeted nervously. 

No response. Ford adjusted his glasses, and Bri realized that he was wearing a pair of gloves.

"Hmph, young lady, this is a clinic. I suggest next time you come here, you make sure to not track dust in," he finally said to her, in an annoyed undertone.

This snapped her out of her daze.

"I'll uh... Keep that in mind. Sorry for inconveniencing you." Bri frowned, and turned to Wayne.

"Sorry, but I really need to get back to the farm. I still have a lot of chores to do."

"Anything I can help with? Post office is closed today," he responded, trying to get her to talk to Ford a little more. "If Ford is done, we can head to Garden Grill. It's our weekend routine."

"No, no," Bri said quickly. "I can do it, it's just taking awhile to clear out some of the trees. Besides, I don't want to be a burden. Maybe some other time."

She gave a short nod to the doctor and a wave to Wayne, and left.

'How on earth can a doctor be so rude?' She thought. 'Although... He did just get back from a trip, right? Maybe that's why? I guess I was the rude one...'

 

Back home, Bri managed to make some progress on the trees that had covered the property, along with brushing down Iris and giving Bep a crispy treat, which supposedly would increase how many eggs she'd give. She gave the chicken a little pat and went down to the stream at the perimeter of the farm, and splashed the cool, fresh water on her face.

"Excuse me," a voice said behind her.

"Ah!" Bri fell into the water, her cheek hitting a sharp rock. "OUCH WHAT THE HECK?!"

"I'm sorry!" A pair of hands came down and pulled her up. 

She recognized the voice now.

"A fine doctor, you are!" She half yelled, wincing at the pain in her cheek. 

Ford helped her back to the shack, where she sat on the steps. He had a medical bag sitting by her mailbox, and brought it over.

"Bri, please move your hand so I can look," he asked. He said it in such a monotone manner, it actually made her a little angry.

"If you don't let me take care of it, the wound may become infected. Please let me take a look."

She reluctantly moved her hand away, gasping at the intense pain from the movement. Those gloved hand touched around the wound.

"There's a piece of rock in the gash. I'll have to remove it. Bri, this will hurt, but the sooner I take care of it, the sooner you won't be in pain."

Bri let him work, and oh yes, it hurt. Not only did he pull part of the rock out, he cleaned the wound with an antiseptic, and stitched the wound. 

"I truly am sorry. Wayne suggested that I was rude this morning, and that I try to 'be friendly'," Ford said afterwards. "I came here to do so, saw you weren't here, and went looking for you. I honestly didn't mean to startle you."

"I... Uh... I'm sorry too. Wayne said you and he were friends, and I think he got pretty excited to introduce us," Bri returned. She didn't want to look him in the eye, especially after taking a jab at him after she fell. He actually was an excellent doctor.

"In any case, I just wanted to apologize. My door is always open to you, day or night. I'm the only doctor for miles, so if you ever feel unwell, please do not hesitate to ask for help."

"Sunshine is my medicine, doctor. But if I ever need help, I might take you up on that."

Bri thought she may have seen a brief smile on Ford's mouth, but thought she may have imagined it, as his countenance had become stoic after a blink.

"Take it easy, Bri."


	3. Tropical Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second town is finally open, and Bri finally learns what was hiding behind the construction.

Bri was enjoying life on the farm, and never hesitated to write home to let her family know how she was doing. In her last letter, she stated how wonderful it was being a farmer, but was furious upon seeing her fathers reply.

"It must be nice to live carefree, if you do nothing but relax, you will never amount to anything."

"Wow, dad. I tell you that I'm happy and things are going well, and you call me lazy? Gee, thanks. Iris is producing better milk, and Bep lays 3 eggs a day. My crops are doing incredibly well, too. If I'm just relaxing, wouldn't my productivity suffer?"

Bri looked down at the letter she was writing and sighed. She didn't want to fight with him anymore. She didn't hate Daryl, but why was he fighting this? Frank had let her know that he was giving Daryl progress reports on how well she was doing with the guidance of her uncle, and he still couldn't accept it.

She crumpled up the letter, and threw it in the waste bin, then slumped back in her chair. She needed to head to town to pick up more chicken feed, but her body felt heavy. Her fathers words had made her feel as though she may not be able to do it. She had made some acquaintances in Westown, and felt as though any day Daryl may just show up and drag her back with him. This made her not want to become friends with anybody and keep her distance. But, perhaps in the off chance that ever did occur, perhaps having some friends would ward him off? This back and forth had been in her head since arriving, and now she felt it more than ever. 

When she heard a knocking at her door, she groaned, and eyed the roof, waiting to see if this would be the day it caved in. The knocking came again, and she closed her eyes. Maybe whoever it was would just go away.

"Bri! Are you in there? It's Frank!"

Her eyes opened, and she pushed the chair out.

"Oh, sorry, I must have dozed off," she called out, as she walked to the door. Upon opening it, Frank was standing beside an old woman with dark skin and silver hair wearing a dark purple dress.

"I just wanted you to meet someone," Frank said. "This here's Tototara. You've probably noticed that the crossroads were blocking off a couple paths, and one of them finally finished construction."

"Oh, hello," Bri greeted the old woman with a small bow. 

"Aloha, Bri," Totoara returned. "So sorry that it's taken awhile for us to finally meet. There was a terrible rockslide last winter, and it just took a lot of time for it to be cleared up."

"Oh no, I hope nobody was hurt!"

"No no, thankfully everybody was at home at the time. Though it did do quite the number to our towns economy. But of course, you haven't even seen it yet! If you've got some time, my grandson would be happy to give you a tour. He was just inspecting your barn."

"He's...what now?"

"Well, I don't want to be rude, but my grandson is quite handy. Are you free now?"

"Um, yeah, I've got some time."

Frank and Tototara led Bri down to the barn and coop where a young man about the same age as Wayne with dark skin, similar to that of his grandmothers, and incredible long blue hair that was partially braided and pulled back.

"Oh, Aloha," he greeted. "You must be Bri! I'm Ludus."

"Um, hello," she responded. "Everything... Okay there?"

"Huh? Oh, yes! E kala Mai! Nobody has lived here for years, I wanted to be sure these structures were good and solid. I run a shop in Lulukoko, that's uh, where Gran and I live."

"Yes," Tototara chimed in, turning towards Bri. "Ludus is everything from a handyman to a carpenter, to an engineer."

"Well," Ludus blushed "I don't know about that. My shop is called the Relacion."

They made their way to the crossroads, where Frank headed back to his own farm, while Bri and her new acquaintances made their way towards the now open roadway. As they walked on, Bri looked towards the one other road, still closed off.

"So, what happened back there? Does that lead to another town?"

"Tsuyukusa," Ludus answered. "It's a nice place, very peaceful. Some of the kids used to visit Lulukoko village, but that storm that blocked this path did a number for them too."

The southern part of Lulukoko had a gorgeous beach, some stalls, and a couple houses. At the end of the beach, there was a large wooden platform that held several tables and chairs along with a bar, extending over the water. A couple of girls in their late teens, early 20s with long purple hair decorated with flowers were serving drinks to guests. One of them was wearing a pink dress that showed off her dark midriff, the other in a blue outfit that was similar, with less exposed skin. Other than the colors they wore, the girls were identical.

"Those girls are priestesses. They worship the spirit that watches over our village," Tototara told Bri. 

"Spirit? Like the Harvest Goddess?"

"Similar, but no. Our guardian spirit helps protect us from bad weather, in fact Iluka and Siluka are blessed by the deity with incredible abilities to see the future."

Bri thought this a little odd, but didn't question or argue the point. 'There are many different beliefs in this world. Besides, for all I know they are right and I'm wrong,' she thought.

Bri met with the fisherman family, a tall, strong, and incredibly kind man named Zahau, his strong willed and beautiful wife Caolila, their prankster son Shaulk, and sweet daughter Alma. The whole family was very inviting, and made her feel right at home. In the north part of town, Bri saw the ruins, inn, and Ludus' shop, along with an incredible array of wild animals such as parrots and lemurs.

After walking around, Bri excused herself, thanking them for the tour, but that she really needed to go to Westown to pick up some chicken feed.

"Mind if I go with you? I actually need to get some supplies," Ludus said. "Now that the road is clear, I'm going to need to prepare to re-open Relacion."

"Sure, I'd enjoy the company."

As they began to leave, and we're out of earshot of Tototara, Ludus cleared his throat, and looked embarrassed.

"I...owe you an apology, Bri."

"Hm? For what?"

"This morning, the reason I was inspecting your farm buildings was because of the state of your house. I was concerned they were in bad shape too."

"Oh..." Bri blushed.

"I didn't want to be rude. But they look fine, your house is another story entirely though. You need a renovation. There isn't a building inspector in the world that would consider it fit to live in."

"I'm not very crafty. I knew I'd need a reno, but was hoping to hold it off."

"I'm just happy it didn't collapse on you! I do renovations all the time. Tell you what, how about you gather some lumber, and I can at least make it so that it will be functional. Plus, it would be a lot safer."

"Sure, I'd really appreciate that," Bri smiled. "Thanks Ludus. How much do you think it will cost?"

"Well, if you supply the materials, and help me with it, that cuts cost and labor in half right there. I can give you a quote once I've truly inspected the house."

Things were looking up, finally. Bri couldn't help but imagine living in a real house once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this got a couple kudos. I appreciate you both! This game has consumed my life, but I'm having fun writing this story. Maybe one day I'll go back and flesh it out a bit, but so far, it just feels good to get the words out.


	4. For Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri has been making progress for a couple seasons, and Daryl hasn't come to take her away, so she finally tries to make some friends!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry! I know it has been some time since I updated. I had a medical injury that if I didn't have to spend all my time asking my doctor to let me go back to work, and then getting summoned for jury duty, and then some craziness at work, I would have updated sooner. Emotionally drained, but I'm back!

It was winter, and Daryl hadn't taken Bri away yet. What he had done, was create something called farm trials, where there were several tasks that she needed to complete in each set. But that wasn't the only thing she had to work on. Bri discovered something called the towns ranking system. If she shipped a ton of items to one town, it would have more economic success, and not only would the townsfolk who lived in any of the three towns be able to increase their shop productivity, Bri would have more options on what kind of product she could buy, plant, harvest, and eventually sell back. It was a separate trial entirely.

Since it seemed Daryl was finally giving her the chance, Bri wanted to finally make some friends. She and Wayne, Lisette, and Carrie seemed to already be pretty good friends in Westown, Ludus and Schaulk were wonderful in Lulukoko, and she had taken a liking to a girl in her late teens named Komari in Tsuyukusa. 

Bri thought about the day Frank showed up with a gentleman named Ginjiro, the town elder of Tsuyukusa, who owned a tea shop along with Komari, his daughter. Similar to what happened with Lulukoko and Westown, Bri was given a tour where she met all the townspeople. It seemed as if this town had the most residents.

After that long day, Bri decided to do some night fishing in the river by Frank and Megan's farms, but found something unusual. A girl who appeared to be 5 or 6 in a white dress, long green braids covered in flowers, and holding what appeared to be a scepter was walking on the top of the water. The girl looked at Bri and made a comment about how it was weird that a "mortal" seemed to be looking at her. Bri shook her head to make sure she wasn't dreaming, and let the girl know that she definitely could see her! Bri wanted to run, drop, and hide all at once when the girl started to do magic, and not illusions, real magic. The girl said her name was Dessie, and that she was the Harvest Goddess' little sister. Bri didn't want to know how on Earth the Harvest Goddess had a little sister, but this news made her sink, fell right to the ground. Dessie looked upset at this, and apologized for startling her, saying that it is usually very young children who can see the deities of this land, and that Bri must have a gift. 

"BEEP BEEP BEEP!"

Bri woke up, startled, and looked at her alarm clock. 4 a.m. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, and laid back down after hitting the snooze button. She didn't fall back asleep though. She watched the ceiling and thought about the conversations she and Dessie had had since their meeting. Wayne had mentioned her making remarkable progress as a farmer very quickly, and Frank also seemed to think so, but was happy with what she had been able to do. Was Dessie right? Was it luck, or had she been blessed by the Harvest Goddess to be a gifted farmer? 

Wait...there was a reason for waking up this early...FORD.

Bri jumped out of bed, and ran to take a shower. The renovation had been quite the success, and Bri loved having a warm shower and kitchen again. She washed her hair, and when she got out, dried off with a towel, and wrapped up her long auburn hair as she went to her new closet. She had managed to get a few more outfits together over the last couple months, including some long warm pants and a jacket. Due to the snow and the sun not being up yet, she made sure to layer up. She unwrapped her hair, twisted it into a bun, then put a hat over it so it wouldn't freeze. When she checked the clock it was 4:45. Perfect. 

She went into the kitchen, and put on a pot of coffee. As it brewed, she opened her fridge to find the dish she made the night before. A fruit tart made with farm grown wheat that she ground into flower, a honey custard made with the honey she collected from her bees the past autumn, and next to the tart, her berries. Now she assembled the blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries in a pretty design. She boxed it up, and put it in her bag, then grabbed a giant thermos and put the fresh coffe in, then pack that up too. She locked up, and began her hike to Westown.

Winter here was lovely, the ermines and foxes fur had become snowy white to give them more camouflage, and Bri tossed a couple walnuts to the ermines, and gently placed some eggs on the ground for the foxes. It was still dark, and Frank and Megan weren't up yet, but as she approached the middle of town, only one building had its lights on- the clinic. Because Ford had to prepare his day far earlier than anyone else, and didn't seem to have friends besides Wayne and Brad, he often was alone. Sure, Bri had come by to say hello, Ford would often just check to see if she had injuries, then wave her off. The doctor was adamant that unless you needed healing, you didn't need to be in the clinic, and due to her schedule, Bri couldn't always visit when he was closed. 

When she got to the door, she gave it a knock, and heard Ford call out to state if it was an emergency, because he was busy with an experiment. Bri frowned.

"Oh, sorry, I'll just...come back later."  
"Wait, Bri? Is that you?"

She heard him approach and when he opened the door he looked as if he was angry.

"Bri! It is freezing, what are you doing out this late?! Come inside before you get sick!"

Well, she hadn't expected that reaction! And what did he mean late? She entered the clinic, and removed her outer layers, hanging them on the coat rack by the door, and couldn't help grimacing when a rotten egg smell reached her nostrils.

"Is everything alright in here?" She asked. 

"Honestly, no...I'm afraid this experiment has been far more troublesome than I ever could have thought."

"Are you using sulfur?"

"Yes, actually! Many people don't realize that our bodies need it to survive! But unfortunately, this might be written up as a failure... Anyway, please, come upstairs. I'm surprised you are still awake, don't your animals need you tomorrow morning?"

"Ford...you do realize it is before 6 a.m. Right?" Bri frowned and looked him over, worried that perhaps HE might be sick.

"Don't be silly, Bri, it is..." He squinted at the clock once they were on the second floor. "Um... Six in the morning..."

"Ford, have you been up all night? Maybe I should leave so you can get some rest..."

"I can't believe I was so stupid. I missed an entire night of sleep? Just for failure?"

"One all nighter never killed anyone, Doctor. Besides, if you just beat yourself up over it, what will that accomplish? I think you should call your assigned patients today, apologize and tell them you need to reschedule, then get some sleep."

Bri unpacked her thermos and the tart as she talked, Ford simply watched her.

"I can't do that," he told her. "Bri, I need a very strict schedule, if I sleep during the day, that schedule is ruined. No, I just need to power through today, and then turn in on time tonight."

"Well, in that case, I guess this visit is right on time, because I brought you something."

Bri showed him the tart and coffee with a huge grin. 

"Now, I know how you are about food, I made the tart with fresh ingredients, no added sugar, just the sweetness of beehive honey and strawberries! And I haven't added anything to the coffee, so you can fix it up however you like."

Ford looked at the breakfast, nobody had gone to such effort to do something like this for him. Brad used to leave food in his fridge before he started taking his meals at the Garden Grill. He was concerned the tart might not meet all of his requirements but he didn't want to be rude. Besides, after not sleeping for a whole night, what was one treat like this?

"I don't know what to say," he told her. He looked her in the eyes, and just like their first meeting, those purple irises captivated Bri. "Thank you, I truly appreciate this."

"O-oh... I, um, your welcome," she stuttered, blushing.

"Won't you sit with me and have some too?"

"Oh, sorry, I only made enough for you... And I really should go back to the farm and check on the animals..."

"I see... What are you doing this evening?"

Bri wasn't sure what was happening, honestly she only had a few winter crops, so she was going to head to Lulukoko when she was done with her chores to enjoy that winter seemed nonexistent there.

"I don't think I have plans," she told him.

"Would...would you like to go to the Garden Grill with me for dinner?" He asked.

Now Bri could have sworn that HE was blushing. What was happening?! She was confused, her stomach seemed to have butterflies fluttering around, and her heart was racing a mile a minute. Is this what Wayne felt like when he was surrounded by women? Is this how the women who chased Wayne felt? Oh no, was she going to start doing that to Ford? 

"I would like that," she finally responded. Ford seemed to have this wave of relief when she answered him.

"I'll meet you there then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, but seriously what is happening? I wasn't planning half of this. Why do my hands have minds of their own? Guess we're really moving forward with the romance plot, huh? 
> 
> I'm trying to not have it exactly like the game, and apologize for not doing the full tour of Tsuyukusa. I didn't want that to get too repetitive, and there's SO MANY RESIDENTS.
> 
> I'll try to be better about updating this story, and apologize for the atrocious choppy style.


	5. No Bad Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri is getting homesick. Despite having new friends and experiences, she realizes nothing can replace her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. So, I'm dumb and managed to sprain my other ankle at work, and I thought I'd do a quick update on the story. I've certainly felt the way Bri does in this chapter, and try to call my grandparents at least once a day to talk to them.

"So, we need some milk, chili peppers, and... Hey are you listening?" Komari pouted.

Komari had asked Bri to help her make a new warm drink at the tea shop, to help customers during the winter. Bri wasn't very knowledgeable when it came to tea, but had told her about this drink she had in this one place that was a hot chocolate with some chili powder and cinnamon that just warmed you up, and due to there having been a couple blizzards already this season, it was going to be a nice project that would keep them inside as the third one raged outside.

"Yeah, I'm just making sure I brought everything," Bri told her, sorting through her bag. "I don't know how we can turn this into a tea, though."

"Don't worry, I will take care of that."

It certainly took some trial and error. Komari got a little too excited and put too much chili in the drink, and thought her mouth was on fire, then Bri put in too much cinnamon, it just dried out your mouth. But what they eventually did was put the cinnamon and chili powder into some cheesecloth, and let it seep in some water along with a black tea. After seeping, they poured it into a few cups with milk, then each cup had a certain amount of sugar so the drink wouldn't be too bitter, til they found the perfect one.

"Wow, that is delicious!" Komari said excitedly. "But I am glad it will just be a seasonal drink. But to pass the final test, my dad has to try it."

"Do you think Ginjiro will like it?"

"I... I don't know. We butt heads a lot over changes to the menu, but that is usually over meal additions. Come on, Bri, he's upstairs!"

Bri followed Komari to the second level, where the father daughter duo lived. She hadn't met Komari's mother, who seemed to be a world traveler, and didn't come home very often, but they both supported her, and when she was home, enjoyed being with her, til she raced off for another adventure. If Daryl had just left like that for his work, Bri was certain that her mother would also be supportive, though she'd be very sad, so would Lynn. Bri felt a loneliness wash over her. Was that what her family was feeling right now? Komari didn't ever seem sad or upset, but surely Ginjiro was about his wife never being there.

"Hey Komari, oh Bri!" Ginjiro said with shock. "Did you really come here during a blizzard? You could have been picked up by the wind and carried off!"

"I was ok, really!" Bri told him. "I wore my metal shoes."

"Well, it looks like you got here safely, but please stay until the blizzard is over, ok? I don't want you getting sick."

Bri didn't understand why everyone was afraid she'd get sick! If she got sick, she could easily due her farm work then go to bed. Although...it was sweet that everyone seemed to worry about her, kind of like how Marlena did for her friends in other places they lived.

"Thank you for the offer, I might take you up on that."

"Hey dad, I was thinking," Komari said. "What if we added a seasonal winter drink? Something that would really warm up the customers!"

"Hmm... I like the menu how it is," Ginjiro stated.

"Oh, come on, at least try it, please?"

Ginjiro looked at the cup that Komari was offering, but didn't reach out to take it. He seemed to be examining it.

"Sweet Inari, Dad, we didn't poison it."

Ginjiro gave her a 'watch your language look', but he took the cup and sipped it. Then he smelled it, sipped it again, swished it around his mouth, took another sip.

"What do you think?" Bri asked.

"Interesting combination, perfect balance of sweet, bitter, and spice, but I don't believe it belongs in our restaurant, it doesn't fit with our other drinks."

"Aw, come on dad...we worked really hard on it."

"Sorry, Komari. Maybe when you are running the shop, but it just won't work now. I need to go take inventory downstairs. Bri, make yourself comfortable."

With that, he left, which made for an uncomfortably loud silence. Bri looked at Komari, and saw disappointment written all over her face.

"Are you alright, Komari?"

"Yeah... I'll be fine... I just don't understand why he shoots down my ideas."

Bri frowned and gave her a hug.

"I'm sure it isn't like that. He liked the drink, maybe he'll come around."

"Yeah... Yeah, you're right! Come on, Bri. If you are going to stay the night, you can bunk with me! Let's go pick out a movie to watch."

"Sure, but is it okay if I write my folks a letter?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. There's paper and pens over by my desk."

Bri sat down, and stared at the paper unsure of what she wanted to write. That she missed them, and still needed their support, that she wished her leaving hadn't been of bad taste, that she hoped there was no bad blood between her and Daryl. 

_Well, write that then._

"Hey everyone. Things are doing well on the farm, despite we are now having our third blizzard. But, I have really been missing all of you. I wish you could come visit me, I'd love to see you all, and see how you are all doing. I've made a few friends in the neighboring towns which are all unique and have wonderful people living there. Lynn, I know how much you like animals! There's amazing wildlife everywhere here! Is there wildlife at your new place? What are they like? Mom, I tried making cinnamon rolls the other day, and although they weren't anywhere near as good as yours, the smell reminded me of when we used to bake for the holidays! How the whole house just smelled delicious! I miss being able to see you every day. You guys should take a family picture when Dad has a day off, and send me a copy! 

Dad... Dad, I know I haven't sent you a letter since...since your last reply. I was going to write back, but I was angry, so I threw out what I had written. I don't want to fight with you. I know I said some things, but I don't hate you, I don't even feel bitter towards you. I still need your support. I know I don't have all the answers, but I'm not slacking off. I've made great progress here. If it is going to take beating these farm challenges to repair our father daughter relationship, then I want you to know that I will accomplish them. I miss you, Dad."


	6. Remedies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri finds her heart might be going down a path she wasn't expecting.

Since the early morning meeting with Ford earlier that winter, Bri had found that the doctor was quite enjoyable to have conversations with. They certainly had come a long way since their first interaction, and she definitely hadn't been the only one who thought so. Wayne had taken notice, but didn't really ask many questions, though on this particular morning, he approached her while on his delivery route with determination in his eyes.

"Morning, Bri!"

"Hey Wayne, how are you?"

"Fine, fine.... You, uh... Doing some shopping?"

"Hm? Oh, no, I'm filling in as a lab rat for Ford. Looked like he needed someone to try out some new medicine he's been working on."

"Oh, I see," Wayne leaned in close, which made Bri blush, just a tad at the closeness. She still wasn't entirely used to how the residents of Westown didn't have much regard for a personal bubble that she had always grown up with, though for the most part, everybody was respectful of her boundaries, particularly Ford and Hector, though Miranda and Brad did have a little more trouble with it. "You've been spending a lot of time at the clinic, is everything okay?"

"I, uh, yes..." Bri felt her face grow warm.

"If you say so, but your my friend, and so is he. You shouldn't get your hopes up."

"Psh, I don't- there's no... Okay, so look," she stuttered, was it really that obvious? Or was Wayne just incredibly intuitive?

"It's okay if you have a crush on him, I just don't want to see you heartbroken if the feelings aren't mutual," Wayne frowned.

"Wayne..." Bri sighed "He's my friend, before anything else. Whatever feelings, or lack there of, that might exist, I care about him as a friend, just like I care about you or Lisette."

"Well, that's good to hear. Maybe when you are done with the job, meet me at Garden Grille for lunch? With all these storms, it has been hard to get together."

"Yeah, that sounds nice! The job shouldn't take too long, so should we meet up at say, 12?"

Wayne agreed, and continued with his route, while Bri continued up to the clinic. Once inside, she took off her coat and hung it on the rack, and saw Ford at his desk looking over some notes. There was a girl sitting in one of the waiting chairs who looked very familiar. She had a cast on her leg, and was staring longingly at the doctor, unaware of Bri. 

"Miss Sanchez, it looks like your leg should be set now. We should start removing your cast now'" Ford said aloud.

"Ok, Doctor Ford," the girl said, almost as if she was hypnotized. "And please, call me Lauren!"

'Oh Goddess' Bri thought with a roll of the eyes. 'She can't be serious.' Bri cleared her throat to announce her presence.

"Hey, Doc. I saw your listing for a lab rat?" Bri told him.

"Ah, wonderful timing! And I presume you've already finished your farm work?" Ford asked, standing in greeting to her, while Lauren looked fairly miffed at the interruption.

"Yup, I'm ready for whatever is in that bottle."

"Great, I'd like you to try this one for right now, just take the sample cup, then have a seat, and when I done with Miss Sanchez, I'll see how you are feeling."

"Lauren, Doctor Ford, I'd really appreciate it if you'd call me by my name," the girl practically shoved Bri out of the way to get close to him, which caused him to quickly step back to regain his space. He seemed to be annoyed with this patient.

"That would be most...inappropriate, miss Sanchez. Please excuse us, Bri."

As the two quickly disappeared in back, Bri took a swig of the first cup, and found that despite feeling tired, she felt like running a marathon. She began tapping her feet, feeling jittery, and ended up needing to get up and pace. She quickly checked the clinic clock, and found that it had been about 3 minutes. So why did it feel like an eternity? Pacing became walking in a circle around the office, sitting down, tapping, standing up, walk to the clock and surely it had been hours but- THIRTY SECONDS?!

Class as a child hadn't been this agonizing, but finally Ford returned, his patient was in tears, and running out of the clinic. He looked confused.

"Whatswrongwithherdidyoucutoffherlegwhyisitsohotinhere?" Bri let out in one breath, causing the doctor to take a step back and raise his eyebrows.

"I...think that medicine is considered a failure," he concluded. "Don't worry, I have something else that should calm you down. Take a sip of this, it's the other one I needed you to try, it should be able to negate the other one."

Bri took the blue liquid and the warm, jittery feeling that the world was moving too slow began to pass. She certainly felt better, but was becoming very aware of the sudden hunger that was beginning to overcome her.

"Th-thanks...but I think I need to eat..." She said, feeling her blood sugar drop. 

"Well, I'll take one success over zero! I was going to head to the restaurant, the least I can do about that first one is buy you lunch."

It was a little early before the meeting with Wayne, but hey, the three of them could have lunch. Bri refused his offer to pay, but agreed that food was definitely needed! As they grabbed their coats she thought about how Lauren had ran out of the clinic. What was that about?

"So, Doctor-"

"Bri, you don't have to be formal with me, you know."

"What happened with your patient? One second she's giving you puppy dog eyes, the next she's running out of here looking like that puppy got kicked. She was crying."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, miss Sanchez had no reason to be in tears."

 

\----------------

At the restaurant, Wayne brought up the girl, having seen her running from the clinic, sobbing uncontrollably, and was curious to what had happened, just as Bri, Brad, and Carrie were.

"What if you just explain what happened?" Wayne asked. "We've all seen that girl hanging around the clinic, Bri says her eyes were stuck on you like a fish to water, she insisted you call her by her first name, and then what?"

"I was removing her cast and telling her about the rest of her recovery. I let her know that she could easily do her own exercise to rebuild muscle in the leg, but she kep asking about in-house care, that there must be something else, and that she wanted to stay close to me," Ford said, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

"And you said?" Brad asked.

"I told her that was ridiculous as she didn't need my assistance, healthy people don't need to be in a clinic. Then I let her know that if called her by her given name, it implied a relationship that a doctor should not have with his patients."

Wayne raised his eyebrows, and gave a side glance to Bri, who looked confused, perhaps a tad bit jealous, but mostly confusion was written on her face. He thought he understood, the way she told it, Ford had never bothered to learn Bri's surname, she was just Bri, and on top of that, he seemed to, if not tolerate, enjoy having her in the clinic despite not being ill. If Ford didn't want her there, he certainly wouldn't be shy about telling her so, and if she was disrespecting his wishes, he would have said something to him or Brad, but hadn't. So, was their friendship giving her exceptions? No, Ford still didn't like Brad or Wayne hanging around clinic unless they were sick, were there on business, or had been invited. 

"That poor thing," Carrie mused. "What do you think the girl wanted with you, Ford?"

"Well, I thought it was pretty obvious that she wanted to train in medicine with me teaching her, but I couldn't take on a student. Though I commend her interests, and wonderful judgement on who should be her mentor, I simply wouldn't have the time."

That brought about an uncomfortable silence. Nobody knew what to say. Bri, Carrie, and Wayne all had the sense to keep their mouths shut, but it seemed that Brad didn't have a filter, and he began to shake his head.

"You've got to be kidding me...you have to be the most dense person I've ever known," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"The girl had a crush on you! And you crushed her dreams!"

"Hmph, I'll have you know that I don't have time for frivolous activities such as courtship, and it wouldn't do to have a flock of women at my doorstep every waking moment like Wayne here. Forgive me if I don't get married on your time," Ford said, adjusting his glasses, looking not only uncomfortable, but offended as well. "Bri, you understand what I mean, correct?"

All eyes migrated to Bri, who blushed a bright red.

"I, uh...well, if it were me, I..." She stumbled, but got a reassuring wink from Wayne. She swallowed the lump that had began to grow in her throat and sighed, remembering the talk they'd had that morning. "Ford has a lot of physically and mentally draining work, so keeping up with a relationship wouldn't fit with his schedule, anyway. The girl will find someone else, and if anything this could be a learning experience for her." 'And for me, as well,' she added on in her head.

Ford now had a smile, but Bri kept her eyes down, avoiding his gaze. She now knew what Wayne meant. It wasn't that Ford didn't necessarily hate the idea of romance or relationships, he actually didn't catch the cues, regardless of how obvious others might find them. The doctor thanked her and left, while she stayed within her thoughts, until a hand rubbed her back. Carrie had moved closer, and Brad was asking her something.

"Sorry, what? I must have zoned out," she said.

"Don't tell me we've got two thick headed nonromantics? I asked how you could see something like this as a learning opportunity? I know you've only lived here for under a year, but I can't tell you how many women have suddenly appeared confessing their love to Ford, and he never learned, he just kept going on with his silly experim-OUCH, WHY?!"

Carrie had given her husband a good smack, and was frowning at him.

"Brad, you have a bad habit of not knowing when to stop talking," she said.

"Honestly? I wanted him to feel validated. I think his jab at Wayne spoke volumes."

"I have to agree, Brad" Wayne told him, with a laugh. "A flock of women? I've never heard that one before."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story! I've been enjoying writing it, and I wanted to start working on this chapter since I first thought of writing a story for the game, but I was hoping to space things out a tad bit more, but regardless, I'm pretty happy with it. 
> 
> If anyone has a suggestion or a character they want to see more of in the story, let me know! I'm planning on a chapter with Sumomo, at the moment.


	7. Therapy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Bri to address those feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the seasons thing might be confusing. I'm operating as if there's 12 months in the story, so we are in January, still winter.

After finishing her breakfast of scrambled eggs and coffee, Bri headed out to the farm buildings to start her chores, but not before putting a letter to a friend in her mailbox first. In the last place she had lived, she had made one or two friends, and thought it was about time she wrote them. 

'It's only been, what, almost a year?' She thought. 'Mom might have been writing them, though.'

As she approached her recently upgraded barn, Iris came out to greet her. It was amazing how the cow would let her know how happy she was to see her. She was more like a dog than bovine. Bri hopped the fence and patted Iris on the head, listening to her 'moo' softly. As she went to grab the brush off the wall, she took a look inside to see if the newest member of the Farm wanted to come out. Inside, a large fluffy, white animal seemed to try and avoid Bri's gaze. The alpaca was shy, and didn't want to get close. Bri sighed, and went back to Iris to start brushing her. She looked up to find that someone was walking towards the barn, someone with blond hair tied into two ponytails.

"Morning, Lisette," she greeted.

"Good morning, Bri! How are you?" Lisette asked in that sweet voice.

"Alright, I guess. How can I help you?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could help me by growing more flowers for a project. I want to sell perfumes at the flower shop."

"Oh, that would be neat! But don't flowers not grow well in the winter? Won't they freeze?"

"Haha, well not all of them! Blue roses grow quite well in the winter! And so do snowdrops."

While discussing the project, Lisette tilted her head to the side. Bri turned her head to see what she was looking at,Mao find that a wooly face was peering out from the barn door.

"Aw, what a cutie! What's her name?"

"This is Singer. She's still incredibly shy, but I think she likes you, Lisette."

Singer gave a quiet bleat, as she slowly approached the two women, nose flaring, taking in the floral scents that followed Lisette out of her shop. The alpaca seemed to not only be curious about the smell, but to also enjoy them. While Lisette couldn't help but revel in the cuteness of Singer, Bri was pleased at how the alpaca was finally leaving the building. Frank and Megan had said that they were shy and give her a few days, but it has already been a couple weeks, and Bri was becoming afraid that she'd have to give Ford a visit, to at least ask if there was a vet somewhat close by. Since the incident with the girl at the clinic, Bri had avoided the doctor as if he carried the plague, avoiding contact unless necessary, and not taking any part time jobs that involved him. She had even chosen not to participate in the Starlight Gala on December 25th. Wayne had let her be, not wanting to bother her, and she to admit she was getting lonely. 

She smiled as Singer allowed Lisette to pet her, this was great progress. She had spent some time with the owner of the floral shop, but since the other two towns had opened, she was feeling a bit stretched. Especially with all of the different trials, that she felt like she wasn't making much headway on. Daryl wanted her to sell 1,000 animal byproducts to Westown, harvest 650 root vegetables, and win the next class in the Harvest Festival. One thing she had going for her was asking for Ludus' help with making a seeding machine. As she grew better crops,Moshe could place them in the machine to get better seeds out, then plant those to get even better products. The alternative was only planting vegetables or fruits that would result in multiple harvests, but that wasn't a good variety for the towns. And now that Lisette had come forward with this project, she'd be growing flowers too, not just produce.

"Oh, sorry!" Lisette said, "I should give you this list of flowers seeds. I got distracted."

"That's fine, I'm glad Singer is coming out of her shell. Maybe if I start growing more flowers, she'll feel even more at home."

"Why not ask Ford for something to calm her down? You two are pretty close, aren't you?"

"Um," Bri thought about it, what to say. Only Wayne and Carrie knew what was going on, and she didn't really want everybody to know. "I don't want to bother him over something like this."

"Oh." Lisette had a look of suspicion on her face, as she studied Bri. Was it possible that she... "Have you ever had chamomile tea?"

"Yes, my mother used to make it for me when I was little if I couldn't sleep."

"Many people see them as weeds, but I've heard of animals in other countries eating them. Maybe that could help Singer?"

"I honestly didn't even consider that, I'm pretty sure I have some saved up. That would at least help her relax enough to start getting used to this place. And I'll have to shear her before her coat gets too heavy for her."

Bri gave Lisette a small bow in thanks. She really appreciated Lisette, and as Bri turned to brush the alpaca, Singer ran back inside. She sighed and placed the brush back on the rack, and grabbed the milker, to continue her chores, as Lisette watched. Lisette hadn't really watched Megan or Frank since they had such small farms, but she enjoyed watching Bri try to calm her animals and collect from them. She especially enjoyed watching Bep, the chicken, try to jump into Bri's arms for a hug, which resulted in her just ending up on the ground again due to her inability to jump high enough. But Bri picked her up, and gave her a nice petting, then put her back down, then grabbed the eggs, and then proceeded to rake up the chickens waste.

"Hey Bri, I did want to ask something else, too."

After a quick shower, Bri was sitting at her dining room table with Lisette, both of them drinking coffee, discussing what flowers they'd need for the perfume.

"You spend a lot of time with Wayne," she started. "I guess I'm just curious... Do you see him as more than a friend?"

"I see him as one of my best friends here, but I don't think that's what you mean," Bri watched her eyes flutter. "I'm not attracted to him, he's just a genuinely sweet guy."

"Oh, okay."

Lisette sighed, and smiled, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"I thought so, especially with how you are with Fo-" she stopped as the farmers eyes descended, focusing on her mug. "Did... Did something happen?"

"I don't know, I guess? I knew he wasn't the touchy-feely type, but I didn't realize he actually didn't understand attraction. I thought he was just very passionate about his work."

Lisette moved her chair closer and put a hand on Bri's arm.

"It may not be exactly the same, but when I first met Wayne, I thought he was the most handsome person I'd ever met, but after seeing that I wasn't the only one, I tried to distance myself. Brad noticed I didn't come around as often, and brought me some apple pie and told me that I was one of the few women who had ever done that and why. I didn't want to be a burden, and I thought if I avoided him, the hurt would go away, but it didn't. I just felt worse, and I felt lonely. Brad asked me if I'd ever seen Wayne return the feelings shown to him, and I realized that I had. While he was cordial with the other women, his actions towards me were so different. Y'know, he actually puts flowers in my mailbox for me."

Bri was surprised, Wayne had never mentioned any feelings for anybody. She thought she understood though. Ford likely didn't know how to reciprocate Bri's gestures, but he did what he could.

"So, I immediately went to Wayne and apologized for being distant, and asked if there was anything he'd like to do together. We aren't steady, or anything, but I know our relationship is different than the others. Ford may not understand, but he might be feeling something. He might do things for you he wouldn't do for anyone else. Just think about it. Also, he asks everyone where you are now, but is too nervous to come out to the farm. Something about how if he startles you again, you might hurt yourself."

That made Bri grin and laugh, like she hadn't laughed in weeks. It was a... sweet thing to say. She hugged Lisette and thanked her for the advice.

"Don't the flowers get crushed in your mailbox?" She asked.

"Oh shush, I'd never tell him that!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, guys, the writers block hit me hard. I'd written a bunch of chapters but I don't want them to happen til much later in the story. I don't really have an end point in mind, but I'll try to be more regular with updates. Sorry it took awhile, but I hope y'all are still enjoying. Have a lovely weekend!


	8. Back On The Wagon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri gets an unexpected visitor

It was only a few days left in January, when a letter and package from home was delivered to Bri. Inside the box, her mother had sent some homemade cookies along with some fun looking socks, a new copy of Watership Down, and a photo album. On the albums cover, the photo was of a day that they all had gone to a balloon and wine festival, but Lynn had been too scared to get in the balloon, so they just posed in front of a bunch that had just taken off. Lynn was about 4 at the time, and Bri remembered her parents apologizing that they couldn't go for a ride, although Bri had actually been just fine staying on the ground, as she had been getting nauseous just by looking at the them way up in the sky. 

Bri flipped through the pages, the pictures triggering a wave of nostalgia. She loved her life on the farm, but would be lying if she said she didn't miss the good old days. They all had something in common, they were taken back before Daryl didn't have to be in the office all the time. One photo at the end was just of Daryl, Marlena, and Lynn sitting in what appeared to be a new car, all smiling happily. Bri removed it and placed it next to her alarm clock on the nightstand, sighing. Next, she opened the letter, which contained three separate letters.

"Hey sis! Long time no write? What the heck! Don't let your feud with Dad stop you from talking to your adorable baby sister. School is the same everywhere, although we DID go to this zoo, and that was cool. I thought of buying you something for your birthday, but your an adult now, right? Do adults get gifts for their birthdays? Okay, maybe that is a dumb question, I know mom and dad exchange gifts. Yes, big sister, I got you a gift. It might come a little late. Maybe I can come out for Spring Break? Anyways, hope you are well, and all that jazz - Lynn"

"Dear Bri,  
I was so happy to see your letter, sweetie. I know things are rough right now, but they will get better. Don't forget that if you ever need to talk, I'll be there for you. I hope you enjoy the photo album, Lynn and I went through all the family pictures looking for good ones to send! Your father helped too, even if at this very moment, he is insisting he did not have any part in it. I also included some cookies, and some cute socks that you can wear around the house. Hoping to visit you soon, sweetheart! We all miss you!

Love, Mom"

And then... The letter from Daryl.

"Bri,

I suppose we are both too stubborn for our own good. You know I've never been a very emotional man, and I get flustered easily, but you are right. I shouldn't have suggested that you weren't trying. It is wonderful to hear how well you are doing, and I let my anger get the better of me. I want to support you, and if you need any help, please let me know. I may not be very good at it, but I will try to set my pride aside and guide you. I wish I could visit, but just like you, my presence at work is vital, and it is difficult to get enough time off at once for the trip to be cost effective, I'm certain you understand. I have been very interested on your progress in the trials, and want you to know that no matter what, I love you. You don't need to buy it, you will always have it. Don't stop working hard.

\- Dad"

Bri wad feeling the tears welling up. She knew how hard it must have been for Daryl to admit fault like that, and she definitely appreciated the gesture. She started writing up replies to each of them, and went out to put take them to the post office, to see someone standing out by the barn petting... Singer?

She walked over to see who it was, when she picked up a familiar scent.

"Mom?!"

"Oh, Bri!"

Marlena embraced Bri tightly, both of them wanting to cry, but trying not to, which became easier as Singer tried to snuggle up to Iris, who simply wanted nothing to do with this.

"Traitor," Bri said to Singer, who bleated weakly in response before diving back into the barn.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I thought it would be nice to spend your birthday with you! I know it isn't until tomorrow, but I've been at all your birthdays for 18 years, and if you think I'm missing your 19th? Oh no, I need to be right by my baby girl's side!"

Bri smiled and hugged her again as they walked up to the house, which Marlena complimented. Bri explained that there was no way she would have been able to do the remodel herself, and that Ludus had become very important to the farm growing. Once inside, Bri thanked her for the gifts she had sent, as she showed her the interior.

"I'm so glad you are doing well here, Brianna. I hope you've made some good friends, too? When I spoke to Frank, it seemed like all the towns need each other, and that the farms are imperative to keeping them afloat."

"Yeah, if you are feeling up to it, I could show you around the towns. Are you tired from the trip?"

"Oh, no. I need to get up and walk around. Sitting for that long is just becoming too difficult at my age."

"Which one do you want to see today?"

"Well, I only had a glimpse at Westown, it would be wonderful to see where your father grew up!"

_Wait...what? Dad grew up in Westown? I thought Frank had been here for a long time, but I didn't think..._

They set out, and along the way, several of the wild animals came up expectantly to them, seeming unsure of Marlena, but hoping for some kind of treat from Bri. She threw a couple of nuts to the ermines, asking Marlena if she wanted to give it a try. The ermines seemed thankful for the gift, and let them go in their way. 

In South Westown, Marlena met with Megan, Hector, Colin, and even Noel, although Bri wasn't too surprised by that. The two kids seemed inseparable. As always Hector was quiet, but didn't seem to find the company unenjoyable. Bri really didn't know very much about him, he was a very private man, and never said much. Although, any interactions they did have were simple pleasantries, that neither of them minded. They went behind the waterfall, where Bri noticed Dessie talking to the bear. The deity turned and gave her a wave. Bri made a mental note to grow strawberries once spring came around, since Dessie seemed to like them. She had commented once that Bri should throw a strawberry into the spring, but Bri hadn't actually done that due to the fact that she wasn't sure if this pool or the one at the crossroads was the spring, and townsfolk got mad at people who threw things into the water. Frank wasn't around, so they continued their way into North Westown.

Bri took in a deep breath. She was still lying low, despite Lisette's advice last week, so she wasn't sure how this was going to happen. She noticed Wayne, who waved, and ran down to her and gave her a hug.

"Hey, Bri! Back from your trip around the world?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I haven't seen you since December, I thought you were on a vacation. Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"Uh... Sure. Wayne, this is my mother, Marlena."

Wayne tipped his hat to her, remembering his first meeting with Bri and how nervous she was about the hugs, so he reigned it in.

"Well, hello there Miss. You've raised one mighty fine lady, Marlena," he told her.

"Oh," she chuckled. "Well, thank you! My husband and I are very proud of her!"

"Where is Daryl, by the way? I've been wanting to meet him."

"Oh, he is stuck in the office. I'm hoping he can come out sometime in the near future, but that really depends on his work."

"That's too bad, we've all heard about him from Frank."

They let Wayne get back to work as they made their way past the clinic, Bri said she wasn't sure going in there was a good idea, but couldn't hide her blushing cheeks from Marlena, who pretended not to notice. They headed up to the general store, where she met with Miranda, and Marlena mentioned having already met Noel, and saying she was a lovely child. Miranda laughed, responding that Noel could be a trouble maker some times, but she appreciated the compliment. Lisette was in there too, and the three had a wonderful conversation. Before they left, Lisette asked Bri what she thought about her advice, to which Bri made a few "not here" motions.

Their final stop was the restaurant, which was a good thing because they were both getting pretty hungry. When they entered, Carrie greeted them. She was ecstatic at meeting Marlena, and gave Bri a reassuring pat on the back. Brad was in the kitchen, but Carrie said she'd make sure he would come say hello. Then the thing she had been dreading happened.

"Bri?" A familiar older man said behind her. She stood and turned towards Ford, expecting to see anger, but rather found surprise.

"Oh, uh, hey there Ford."

"I haven't seen you in awhile. Are you alright?"

"Yes," she responded too quickly. "Ford, this is my mother."

"Good evening," he greeted.

"Hello!" Marlena said in a cheery tone. "You must be the doctor here!"

"Yes, it keeps me busy. Usually, your daughter helps me around the clinic. She's very intelligent."

"Thank you for saying so! She was an excellent student!"

"Mom, what do you think we should order?" Bri cut in, hoping that they weren't actually about to discuss her student career.

"Doctor Ford, would you like to join us?" Marlena offered.

_By the Goddess!_


	9. What Is This Feeling?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri talks it out

The dinner wasn't as terrifying as Bri thought it would be. Marlena really just asked Ford about where he studied, how long he had been in Westown, and what he did when he wasn't working or experimenting. Bri was surprised to find that Ford enjoyed listening to music. She had never heard him talk about it and never found evidence that he listened, other than his radio. He enjoyed instrumentals, which seemed right up his alley, and had an appreciation for the role each musician and their instrument played. He mused that it reminded him of the three towns and the farms, each had a significant role and they all needed each other to run smoothly. On the walk home, Marlena put a hand on Bri's shoulder and said "Dr. Ford seems nice" and chuckled when Bri turned red, apologizing for teasing her.

"Oh, come on, dear. Do you really think I didn't know?"

"It's those 'Mom Senses' again, right?" Bri asked sarcastically.

"Daryl wasn't the first man I thought of marrying, you know. Your mom used to be quite the flirt, back in the day."

"Mom, no," Bri pleaded.

"You could just tell him how you feel, sweetie."

"I don't think it is quite that simple. I've seen what happens to people who tell him they want to be with him."

Marlena gave her a little pat on the back.

The next week went by far too quickly for both of them. On Bri's birthday, she awoke to the smell of cinnamon rolls that Marlena had baked as a surprise. They spent the day at Lulukoko, where Zahau and Caolila invited them in for a lunch of freshly caught and grilled fish, followed by a lovely view at the Twins' restaurant. Ludus even joined, happy to meet Bri's mother. Iluka enjoyed the compliments Marlena gave on her and Siluka's outfits, her pride making her glow, while the younger twin seemed content to stay reserved. 

When they had gotten back to the farm, Bri found her mailbox quite full, the surrounding villagers send their well wishes. Little Sumomo had sent her a cute bracelet with a little kitty on it, Hinata sent a ticket to his next dress rehearsal along with a letter saying he could even give her a backstage tour, and Komari gave her a pot of tea leaves. Siluka sent her a book of different animal behaviors, Alma gave her a pretty hibiscus flower (which Caolila must have moved to the door step so it wouldn't squish), and then a small box with no senders name was neatly placed under the mailbox. Inside was a letter which read:

"Dear Bri,

I must confess that I feel a bit as though I may have done something to offend you, and if that is the case I apologize. As you may know, I can become distracted easily due to the nature of my work. We have known each other for about a year now and it never occurred to me to ask when you were born, or if you even celebrate the day of your birth. 

If you don't, then please accept this as a token of friendship, Brad has suggested that some people might not realize how I feel about them due to my blunt nature. I do consider you to be my friend, even if I may not show it. I hope you understand, and I hope this gift helps you in your endeavors, particularly now that I have worked out that kinks.

Sincerely,

Ford"

Inside the box, there was a bottle that reminded Bri of the medicine she had sampled from the Sanchez Girl Incident, as it was now called in Westown, much to Ford's dismay. Apparently, it was meant to reduce fatigue while also help to increase speed. Despite what he ended the letter off with, Bri thought it may be best to enjoy his gift by keeping it in her medicine cabinet, mostly because of the awful feeling the experimental batch had given her after receiving the antidote. The gesture was not unwelcome, however, and she felt almost as if her chest had loosened, and couldn't help but smile.

The next day, the visited Tsuyukusa where Bri thanked everybody who sent her letters or gifts for the day prior. Kasumi and Komari enjoyed talking with Marlena. Bri convinced Moriya to let Sumomo have an extra break to spend time with them, if Bri did some extra delivery jobs the next day. She felt bad for the girl, and wished she could let her just stay on the farm, but Sumomo seemed to honestly not mind Moriya's harsh nature.

The rest of the time Marlena was on the farm was restful for both of them, and she even helped with some of the farm chores. But when the day came for her to return home, Bri found that saying good bye was heart breaking. Frank had come along to say his farewells too, and Bri was even surprised to see that Ford was there. 

"I'm not going to pretend to understand, but some people find that a busy mind has no time for grief," he told her.

"Ford, can I ask why you don't, uh, understand?" She asked as they made their way up to the clinic. "I feel like that is a stupid question, sorry."

The doctor sighed, making her wish she hadn't asked. 

"My parents didn't exactly have the best relationship, Bri. Not with each other, and certainly not with me. I'm still surprised to this day that Brad and Carrie have been together as long as they have."

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. I'd never ask you to do something you aren't comfortable with."

"Is that why you have been avoiding me?"

Bri had really been hoping this was all going to just slide by, but it looked like they were actually going to talk about it. Lisette had been right, she shouldn't have tried to run from it.

"I don't know why you thought I didn't want you around," he continued.

"It wasn't that," Bri interrupted. "Honestly, I didn't do it because of something like that. I did it because I..."

The words were stuck in her throat. She honestly didn't think it was possible to have this much trouble saying the words, and she didn't want to dance around it.

"I care about you," she finally said, in a defeated voice.

"I care about everybody in this town, disappearing on them would be a very strange way to show it," he pointed out.

"You're right, I should have told you earlier how I felt about you, at least so we could both move on with our lives, but I thought you wouldn't want me around anyway. Just like you dismissed that patient who had the broken leg."

He looked as though someone had hit him with a lamp, but she couldn't read what emotion he was feeling. Fear? Realization? Anger?

"Bri, I'm..." He began, after a couple minutes. "I have no plans of marrying. Anybody."

"I know, that's why I've been avoiding you. I thought it would be easier."

"Was it?"

"No. It just made me feel worse. And the worse I felt, the more I knew I needed to talk to to you, but that made me want to run and hide even more."

"It might be uncomfortable, but you can talk to me about anything, Bri. Do you feel better?"

"No, I just feel tired. Like, I really want to just sleep for the next two weeks."

Ford had felt something similar, a very long time ago. The smoke, the flames, the heat, and an exhaustion beyond any he had known before. 

"You should ask Frank to watch your livestock and produce. You have put your body under unneeded stress, and now that you are alleviating that stress, you are exhausted. Mental stress can do far more harm on your physical health than many people realize. Sunshine isn't going to make this go away."

Bri remembered what she had told him after their second meeting, after he had patched up her cheek. 

"I find it therapeutic, but I guess a better nights sleep would be helpful."

Ford reached for a blue bottle and handed it to her. "Just take one before you go to bed. No more than that."

Before sending her back to her farm, he gave her hand a squeeze, something he had never done before. She thought it may have just been a way for him to reassure her that things could be normal, but after she left, he found himself questioning why he did it. Sure, his glove had been on, but even then, he limited contact unless a job required it. He decided that he just needed to eat, since he had managed to be late on his morning meal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the support everyone! I've been dying to write this chapter for awhile. Still working that slow burn, but they are slowly opening up to each other. Never say "never", Ford.


	10. When I'm With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone in the trio of towns finally gets the love of their life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yesterday was a blessing in disguise, because honestly the chapter I had written was not good at all. I really wasn't feeling it, and usually am able to write these chapters in about an hour or so. Three days of writing was a sign to me that it just wasn't worth it. I'm so much happier about this one, and now that i have the entire story on a save file, there hopefully wont be any more mishaps!

Wayne woke up with a quick stretch, and a yawn. He sat up, and took a quick glance at his calendar, and smiled to himself. Today was the day, and he wasn’t going to let anything or anybody stop him. He had made the plan awhile ago, but now he could finally begin. The preparations had only taken about a day or so, and with the help of Bri, Ludus, Caolila, and Siluka, he had all of the components to finally get it off his chest.

He went to his fridge, and opened it to see (with relief) that the flowers he had gathered stayed fresh due to the coolness of the machine. He had needed Caolila’s expertise in growing certain plants for the second part of his plan, along with Ludus’ handiness to create the perfect environment for growing the broccoli out of season, fresh eggs from Bri’s farm, and finally Siluka’s incredible culinary skills to create the perfect quiche! With everything together, he took a shower, and got ready. He was incredibly nervous for what was about to transpire, and knew that his best friend Ford would probably tell him that he was being sappy, but what nobody knew was how anxious he was at the thought of what he was about to do. Sure, he was always cordial to everyone he met, even all the women who would throw themselves at him. He never asked for that attention, but received it anyways. His grandfather had always told him to be polite, and the way he saw it, he could do one of two things: he could be rude to them and it would probably stop, or he could just be himself and know that the perfect person for him would understand that he just wasn’t the type of guy to treat others poorly. That day did arrive, quite a few years ago, in fact, and he hadn’t moved forward. He felt honored at the fact that she could see past the superficial layer, and that looks weren’t everything. She had a kind soul, and when he realized that he might have hurt her, he felt shame well up inside him. But she had understood, and he couldn’t even fathom the idea that he could deserve such an incredible woman. Part of him hoped that over time, Lisette might fall for someone else, as many of his admirers eventually had when they realized he wasn’t going to marry them at the drop of a hat, while the other part of him begged for her affections to be the real deal. He had began to put wildflowers into her mailbox one day, hoping she’d understand what he felt, and whenever he visited or made a delivery, he found the flowers in vases around her living area. 

Sure, it might be sappy to do this on Valentine’s Day, but it felt right to him, and he wanted it to be perfect. He wanted to really show her what she meant to him, and he was going to work hard for it. Ludus, Siluka, Bri, and Caolila all had the same advice for him.

“Don’t get fancy with clothes or anything like that,” Caolila told him. 

“She likes you for you, right? Why pretend to be something you aren’t?” Siluka had chimed in.

“You could get all done up and everything, but will it feel natural?” Ludus asked. “If you stay natural, you’ll both feel better about it.”

“Just be yourself, Wayne. This is Lisette, we’re talking about. And you know her better than anybody else here,” Bri mentioned when he had asked for any pointers. “I’m not the romantic type, but you know that Lisette is. She wants romance, not a show.”

He knew they were right, but he still felt like he should have done something with his hair, or maybe worn something nicer than his work clothes, but after taking a quick look at his closet, he realized that he only had work clothes. As he made his way to the flower shop, bouquet of her favorite flowers in one hand, quiche in the other, he felt like he was moving in slow motion, and he was sweating. He kept telling himself, this should be easy, he had always been able to talk to her before without a problem, but this question kept nagging at him, would she say yes?

Before he knew it, he was in front of her door, just standing there, terrified. It was as if someone had stuffed his tongue down his throat, and he couldn’t speak. 

“Hi Wayne!” he suddenly heard Lisette say. He slowly turned around.

“Lisette! Hello! Hi!” he said, his heart pounding, a huge smile on his face.

“Haha, hi!”

“Are you…doing anything today?”

“Hmm, no, not really. Why?”

“I wanted to know if you wanted to…” his voice trailed off. Oh boy. What had he gotten himself into?

“I’m free if you want to spend the day together,” she concluded for him, with a grin. 

“Ah, yes, that! I’d lo- like to do that with you!”

He was blowing it, he thought. There was just no possible way that this was going to happen the way he hoped. He was just completely ruining his chances. Then he remembered!

“Lisette, I have some things for you,” he told her as she unlocked the door.

“Aw! That’s sweet of you, Wayne!”

Once inside, they made their way upstairs, and sat at her small dining room table. He gave her the gifts, and she gasped when she saw her favorite things.

“Oh, Wayne! These flowers are beautiful! And this quiche looks delicious! Should we eat some together?”

“It’s a Valentine’s day gift, Lisette, we can do whatever you’d like.”

She smiled, as her cheeks went pink. She gave him a hug, and then grabbed a couple small plates for them both. She also grabbed a big plate of almond cookies out of the fridge and handed them to him.

“And these are your Valentine’s gift!” she told him.

“You baked my favorite dessert! Lisette, thank you, this is the sweetest thing anybody has ever done for me. “

_Alright, it’s now or never!_

“Lisette, I want to ask you something. I’ve wanted to for awhile, but I haven’t had the courage to do it until now. And I have to be honest here, if keep talking for too long before I ask, I’m probably never going to actually do it, so…” 

He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small box, with a pretty red ribbon wrapped around it. He then reached out to hold her hands, and placed the package within them. She looked like she was about to faint, going pale, and wide eyed. Wayne thought she might be holding her breath, and she removed the ribbon and looked inside the box. Her eyes began to water, and she leaped forward and embraced Wayne, which he immediately reciprocated, holding her tightly, as she laughed that sweet laugh that could rival that of the Harvest Goddess herself. 

“I take it, that you want to be my girlfriend, then?” he asked, still not letting go of her.

“Of course, Wayne,” she said, and he could hear her crying tears of joy. She was blown away, and didn’t want to stop hugging him. He gave the best hugs, and honestly couldn’t possibly be happier. 

“When I’m with you,” Wayne told her softly. “My heart beats a mile a minute.”


	11. Endings and Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the winter months come to an end, Bri sees a new dawn, and a new trial on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, sorry, I meant to get this out earlier. I was able to get some elements from the deleted chapter in here, and i'm far happier with certain introductions this time around.

There was one more day of winter, and everybody was excited that the flowers were coming back, many of the animals were shedding their coats, and the farmers in the various towns couldn’t wait for the chance to finally start growing more product, and let the animals out to graze of the fresh grass.

Bri was excited to participate in her first winter Harvest Festival, and wasn’t certain what to expect. She had a few specimens to pick from, and the winter flowers that Lisette had suggested did incredibly well. She had gentians, snowdrops, soybeans, wheat, and daikon radishes, and thanks to that fantastic seeder, the soybeans and wheat were of decent quality already, but she wasn’t certain that she wanted to take them to the next level of festival. It would be helpful to raise the brand of something else, though, and since she was planning on growing more flowers, she decided to go with the gentians. 

When she started to go out the door, she found a man there with a fist up, he was about to knock on her door. He was wearing cargo shorts, a straw hat with leaves along the brim, tanned skin, and glasses. He looked very nervous, and began to stumble over his words.

“Ah!” he exclaimed. “I’m so sorry! You must be Bri?”

”Yes?” she responded, looking him up and down. “You must be new here. How can I help you?” 

”Um. . . my name is Lotus, and Tototara suggested I come see you. I have a problem that I’m hoping you can assist me with.”

”Oh, sure. What’s up?”

”I work with a professor of history and ancient artifacts, and we just got back to Lulukoko. On our last expedition, we were paid with a buffalo, but after we returned, the buffalo went into labor. There were. . . complications.”

”Oh no, I’m afraid I don’t know what I can do. I’ve never helped an animal give birth before, but I guess I could let you guys use my barn?” 

”Actually,” Lotus’ eyes dropped to the ground, and he began to fiddle with his fingers. “She . . . uh, didn’t make it. But, now we have a hungry calf and the Professor doesn’t want it. Even if she did, there’s nowhere for us to keep it. She wants to know if you want it.”

Bri wasn’t sure what to say, her jaw had dropped. She knew she needed to compose herself, and find out where the calf was.

”Where is it?”

”Zahau carried it over. They are by the barn right now.”

They made their way to the barn, and sure enough, Zahau was sitting on the ground with a small brownish black calf, still wet, trying to get onto its feet. Zahau smiled at Bri and she returned it with a grin. She knealt down and put a hand on the calf, as the baby rocked onto its side, making small grunting noises.

”Hey, buddy,” Bri said softly. “I bet you’re hungry.”

Lotus asked again if Bri would keep him, and she agreed, thanking him for coming to her. She did realize that this could be difficult to attend the harvest festival, she didn’t want to leave the calf with alone with Iris, just in case the cow didn’t like the idea of being a stepmom. Thankfully, Zahau offered to stay during the festival so she could compete.

”I’ve been to plenty of Harvest festivals, Bri,” he told her. “Besides, you need to compete. Things will be fine here. I like to think that I have a way with animals. Besides, I’m sure Schaulk and Alma will tell me all about it.

Lotus and Bri walked to the crossroads together, where Stephanie, the MC of the festivals in the towns, was awaiting any contestants who still needed to enter the competition. Lotus wished her luck in the festival, and made his way to the tropical town, presumably to meet with this mysterious professor. Bri approached Stephanie, and let her know that she wanted to enter the beginners competition for winter flowers, to which the MC reminded that there were no precise restrictions that needed to be met, and gave her a number, which she would be using to know when it was her turn to go on stage. Stephanie bade her farewell for now, and Bri made her way to the festival grounds.

Once there, Bri did recognize some of the others who would be competing in this seasons harvest festival, and decided to go ahead and greet them. Frank and Megan were competing in the expert level classes for food products, both happened to have grown daikon radishes, and while Bri wished Megan well, she had to be a cheerleader for Frank. Frank seemed to appreciate it, and asked Bri how she was feeling about this festival. 

”I think I’ll be okay. I’m disappointed that I have to start at the lowest level, but I guess this just means that by next year, I’ll be able to advance further,” she told him. 

The beginning class always went first, so Bri could see how the others would do after she was done, and when her number was called, she lined up with her gentian, and when Matsuba got on stage after all the novice competitors were introduced (and after some loud wooping from the crowd when her name was announced), he began to inspect the items, with a keen eye. Bri took a glance at the other flowers, there was a blue rose and two snowdrops in the running too. The rose looked beautiful, but one of the snowdrops was wilting, clearly not enjoying the warmer weather. She looked at her gentian and awaited Matsuba’s judgment. When he finally got to her, he picked it up, and carefully turned it, watching the petals, looking for signs of wilting and health. After a few moments, he placed it back on the bench, and turned to Stephanie to signal that he was ready to judge. She nodded and they went off stage to deliberate. Bri’s eyes wandered to the crowd, where she saw Komari, Hinata, Carrie, and Lisette all crossing their fingers for her, even giving her a wave. She realized they were the ones who had been cheering so loudly, and she smiled. Siluka looked stoic as ever, but she seemed at peace, and Bri wondered if she was there for her, or if the priestess knew someone else was competing. Ford looked flustered for some reason, while Wayne and Ludus were talking to him in whispers, Brad was a ways off, red as a beet. She wasn’t sure what to think of that, but when the judge and MC returned, the thought left her mind. 

”After much deliberation,” Stephanie began, with a flare. “Our judge has decided on the winner!”

”That’s correct!” Matsuba put on a huge grin. “All the contestants did rather well, but at the end of the day, there can only be one victor! And the winner is. . .”

It was as if everybody was waiting on baited breath, all leaned forward, including the contestants.

”Bri!”

Bri exhaled as the crowd cheered, and she moved forward to accept her prize, a recipe for lavender cookies. It was over quickly, and after the stage was cleaned up, she made her way down to the audience. They didn’t know anybody in the next class, and were waiting for Frank and Megan to begin, so she settled in with Carrie, Komari, Lisette, and Hinata.

”That was awesome!” Komari told her in an excited whisper.

”I’m so proud of you!” Lisette followed up. “That flower was beautiful! You did a great job with it! I bet you could have ended up winning in the expert class!”

”Nah, I’m thinking LEGEND class!” Hinata included.

”You guys are sweet, thank you,” Bri told them all, and Carrie tried to stop her tears of joy from flowing, hugging her tightly.

As the next class level competitions went on, they watched and commented on how the different items looked and what the farmers must have done to get their produce to this level, until the finally reached the expert class, and the two farmers from Westown placed their radishes on the bench. Matsuba really had his work cut out for him, and Bri was honestly very impressed with the judge for being not only knowledgeable about so many types of plants, but his ability to judge so many classes. While Matsuba began his deliberation, Bri looked over at Ford, who still looked put off, Wayne and Ludus looked embarrassed.

”Hey, Carrie?”

”Yes?”

”Did something happen between Brad and Ford? They usually stay around each other during the festivals, don’t they?”

”O-oh…,” Carrie sounded disappointed. “Yes…Brad might have said something and Ford was…not happy with it.”

”Do you know what happened?”

”Well, you know how Brad is. He doesn’t realize that some things just shouldn’t be said!”

Bri raised an eyebrow. What on earth could Brad have possibly said to upset Ford, Ludus, and Wayne like that?

Matsuba was on stage again and announced Megan the winner of the expert class, and everyone cheered for her. When Frank came down, Bri made a beeline for him and congratulated him on a job well done, just as he had regardless of if she won or not. He laughed pleasantly.

”Megan has been at this a loooong time,” he said. “Even to this day, despite all I know now, she’s a tough cookie to beat!”

”Maybe someday, I’ll be up there competing with the two of you, you both need to watch out,” she told him playfully, getting a chuckle from him.

At the end of the festivals, Bri liked trying to talk to everyone, sometimes farm life was just so busy, she simply couldn’t go say hi to everybody, but at festivals, almost everyone attended, so it was the perfect time to catch up. Sheepishly, she walked up to Ford, who was staring at the ground.

”Hey Ford,” she greeted.

”Ah, Bri,” he looked up, and she noticed that he was visibly upset. Whatever Brad had said must have been really bad.

“Are you alright?”

”No, and I’m not really certain I want to talk about it right now. I will tell you some other time, I do not wish to put a damper on your victory.”

She didn’t want to push the issue, and gave him a reassuring smile, and headed over to Wayne and Ludus.

”Okay, what happened?” she asked.

”Brad being… Brad again,” Wayne said, trying not to say anything bad about his friend. “He mentioned that he didn’t see you on Valentine’s Day at the restaurant with anybody. Ford told him that it really wasn’t any of his business, and then Brad said…”

He stopped himself, and looked at Ludus, who crossed his arms and sighed. He put an hand on Bri’s shoulder.

”Brad said that you were probably spending time with me, since I’m at the farm so much. Ford… he really didn’t like that. He told Brad that he should keep his ‘incredibly dull nose out of other people’s business’.”

Bri’s eyes widened.

_Did…did Ford really say that?_

”Oh…,”was all she could say. Her mind was racing, and on one hand she wanted to go let Ford know that she was just at the farm all day working, that she wasn’t with anybody, but on the other hand, she remembered his words, which echoed throughout her mind.

_"Bri, I'm... I have no plans of marrying. Anybody."_

She simply nodded at them, and decided that maybe it was best to just go back to the farm. Brad seemed to already feel bad enough, and she didn’t want to make the situation worse. Besides, there was a baby buffalo back at the barn that needed her, and Zahau to thank. She made her way over and breathed a sigh of relief once she could smell the animals again. She immediately went to the barn, where the calf was fast asleep next to Singer, cozy in her wool, and Iris standing over them. Zahau was simply watching, so she thanked him for helping, and went over to the little one. Singer looked at her, and then calmly put her head back down. The alpaca had finally gotten used to her, and was really part of the farm family. Bri gave her a pat, and then put a hand on the buffalo, whose nostrils flared, picking up her scent. It was a cutie, and although she wished the little one could be with mom, she knew that this simply was not the way the world works, and she was glad that Tototara had thought of her. In truth, she knew a little bit about buffalo from one of her friends in the city that worked at a zoo, and she knew it would be a good idea to let that friend know about these events, she could be a huge help. 

The baby opened its eyes, and looked at her, and on wobbly legs, stood up and made its way towards her, eventually stumbling into her lap. Bri looked up at Iris, and called her over. The cow looked uninterested.

”Oh come on,” Bri whispered. “Are you really going to make me do this the hard way?”

She got a confident ‘moo’ in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So i'm going to New York on Friday, September 1st, and won't get home until the 4th. I will be bringing my laptop, but only to do work stuff on the plane (oh boy, 7 hour flight), so I probably won't update this for another week or so, but I will be continuing it. :)   
> Thank you so much for the reads and kudos, they really mean a lot to me, and inspire me to keep writing! I hope you all enjoy!


	12. Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in the clinic

His eyes slowly opened, and stared at the ceiling, the familiar blur of the wooden frames greeted him as they did every morning. He inhaled sharply and exhaled with a sigh, and pushed himself up to a seated position, gazing around the room. As always, it was clean and sanitized to a degree of obsession, one that he had harbored for many years and still haunted him since he was child. He turned his head towards his nightstand to find the pair of glasses he had set out the previous evening sitting upon his gloves, and silently appraised them. It was an older pair, and although he cleaned them meticulously every single day, he could see the wear and tear around the ear pieces. Ford was adamant that if something wasn’t necessary in either his work or living space, it needed to be thrown out, but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to get rid of this pair. He had others, but there was a pang of guilt whenever he felt it was time to either throw them out or donate them, which would have been his preference. 

Ford began his morning routine, a shower, steaming his clothes to be certain they were pristine before donning his outfit, ate a quick but filling breakfast with one of the super vitamins he had created in his lab, then of course brushing his teeth, flossing, water-pick, followed by a rinse of mouthwash. He then made his bed, so it would be ready for him in the evening, put on his glasses and finally the gloves. He had a full day ahead of him, and as he made his way downstairs to the clinic, he made a mental note of the request Bri had made of him, to possibly go to the farm and help assess the health of the calf that had been left in her care. It had only been a couple of days, and she didn’t seem entirely concerned that there was a serious problem, and likely wanted a quick check up. Before he could go to the farm, he had a few patients that morning, but there was about an hour until the first of them would show. They weren’t difficult, one was to prescribe a medicine for an ear infection, another was having stomach issues for several weeks, and the third was looking for a weight management program. 

Just as Ford always prepared for the next day upstairs, he made sure to prepare the exam room the morning before. He knew that bacteria could grow in an evening, so he made certain to sanitize the room after every patient, at the end of the day, and the following morning before the patients arrived. While refilling the plastic gloves in the examination room, he heard a knock at the door, and assumed it might be one of his patients come, and gladly went to unlock the door, and opened it to actually find Brad. He was genuinely surprised to see him, and looking so guilty. Brad’s eyes were cast downwards, and he was holding a gift box that Ford assumed was tied up by Carrie.

“Good morning, Brad,” he greeted, with a tone of monotony.

“Mornin’ Ford,” Brad returned the greeting.

“How may I help you?”

“I wanted to apologize about what I said at the Harvest Festival. I didn’t think that would be a touchy subject.”

Ford narrowed his eyes, and almost felt as though someone had dumped an ice cold gelatin over his head.

“I made you some pistou soup, it should last you a few meals,” Brad said as he handed over the box.

“Your apology is noted,” he took the gift. “It is also appreciated and accepted. I don’t know what came over me, but rest assured, Brad, I do consider you to be a good friend of mine. I must have just not been myself.”

“It’s all good,” Brad smiled. “Carrie and grandpa are right, I don’t really have a filter. But thank you for accepting the apology. You know I wouldn’t try to hurt you or anyone on purpose.”

They spoke until a slightly overweight individual walked up behind Brad asking if he was in the right area, looking for the clinic. Brad excused himself, and Ford invited the patient in, and asked him to please have a seat in the waiting room and fill out some quick paperwork. The man nodded, and sat down with the clipboard. When he was finished and gave the board back, Ford read through it and motioned for him to follow him to the examination room.

“Mr. Jackson, I am Dr. Ford. Care to tell me what is going on with your ear?” he asked, removing his cloth gloves, and pulling on the plastic ones.

“The other night, when I put my head down, my ear started hurting. It feels like there’s water in it, but I don’t see anything on a q-tip.”

Ford looked up at him at furrowed his brow.

“You put q-tips into your ears?”

“Yes? How else am I supposed to clean them?”

“You shouldn’t put foreign objects into your ears, Mr. Jackson. The earwax is a self cleaner for the ears. It will usually work itself out.”

The man looked at him like he had eight legs. Ford grabbed an otoscope, and placed a clean disposable cover on the section that he was going to put into the patient’s ear, and took a look. The man flinched, and Ford immediately saw the problem. Mr. Jackson must have used a q-tip that had debris on it, and it was stuck in his ear. Every time he used a q-tip after, he was just shoving the debris further into the ear, and it was just too much now.

“Alright, Mr. Jackson, it looks like I will need to drain your ear,” he said as he made his way to the cabinet to retrieve two small tubs and a bulb ear syringe, and filled one of the tubs with warm water.

“Wait. . . isn’t that what people use on babies noses?” Jackson asked, concerned.

“They can be, but they are also quite effective in flushing ears of foreign objects.”

It wasn’t a difficult task, but if the patient was confident that they knew better than him, Ford could have some reservations about how much patience he could have. It was still early, and he kept reminding himself that this was just his first client. 

After finishing up, he gave the man a list of items to get to prevent this in the future, to find two more patients sitting in the waiting room. He asked which of them had come in first, and one pointed at herself, the other gesturing at the woman next to her. Ford nodded, and handed them both clipboards, and said he’d be right with her, as he went to clean up the room, which didn’t take very long.

The first woman was there for the weight management, and he did recognize her. The first time she had shown up at the clinic, she was severely underweight, and if she didn’t get help soon, she would need to be hospitalized. Something seemed to spark inside her that caused her to seek help, and he created a diet to help her gain weight at a steady pace that would also help her from being sluggish. She had definitely made excellent progress, and when he asked how she was feeling, he thought it might be the first time he had seen her smile throughout the process, which told him about everything he needed to know.

“It is good to know that you feel better, but we need to work on maintaining this,” he told her, and she nodded.

The final patient had a fairly easy diagnosis, it turned out she was pregnant. Her reaction to hearing this news was him receiving a tight hug, and many thank yous, as he tried to encourage her to go home. She began talking about how excited her husband would be when she told him, and Ford gave her a pamphlet on what things to be careful of, and that she should come back in a few weeks to see how everything was going.

It had been an excellent morning, and he was ready to close up shop for a few hours for his lunch and to help Bri. She had offered to make something to eat in return for the check up, and he felt a strange possessiveness and pride about it. This wasn’t the first time she had done this, and Brad made him food fairly often as gifts, so he didn’t know what to make of this odd feeling. 

The walk to the farm was long, and his mind began to wander to the early morning the young farmer had trudged her way through the snow to bring him coffee and a pastry. It was the first time he found that he would think about her at spontaneous times throughout his days. He knew he enjoyed having her around, but never knew why for sure, and after their discussion where she revealed her feelings towards him, he began to identify the odd emotions welling within him. Could it actually be attraction? He wasn’t ill, he knew that for certain, and he would think about when Brad was courting Carrie, and realized that some of his actions weren’t far off from things Brad had done for his, now, wife. When Bri stopped coming around the clinic, he initially felt worry and concern that something awful had happened to her, but when none of the other residents expressed such feelings, he knew that he was being ridiculous. Frank at least would have known if something had happened to his niece. Despite that, he didn’t want a repeat of their second meeting, where she had cut open her cheek, and hoped that someone would go talk to her. After a couple of days, he noticed Lisette was heading that way, and he had asked if she had seen Bri recently, and was, dare he say, happy to know Lisette was actually on her way to the farm now. 

After their discussion when her mother left Westown, and actually hearing it from the farmer, his response had been automatic. He didn’t really think about it when he said he had no plans of ever being in a romantic relationship with somebody. Not to mention what occurred at the Harvest Festival. He shouldn’t have been upset, after all Bri was free to do as she pleased, and if she had her eye on Ludus, he had no business being upset. That was the first time he felt that possessiveness that he felt now, and he couldn’t stand it. He felt disgusting for this jealousy, and knew he needed to talk to her about it. Just like when he told her that he would always be there to talk to her, and not to be afraid to do so, even if it might be uncomfortable, but he was now realizing exactly how that felt. It was a mix of embarrassment, frustration, and joy, and he definitely did not like it.

The sun was still high as he reached the crossroads, but he was thankful for the tree cover, which did help relieve some of the heat from the sun, and he could see the farm entrance across from the spring. He recalled the first time he saw it: a large brick arch with a sign hanging from it. When he came here the previous year, the sign was old, rotted, and words were barely visible, but now the sign was new, a clean varnish, and the words “Cronus Farm” had a shine to them. He hadn’t realized that this was the name of her farm, and wondered what it meant, but he felt a strange pride that Bri had done so well in only a year. 

“Come on, handsome, you’ve gotta come outside sometime,” her voice called out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from my trip, and had a great time. Now happy to have Dolokhov as my phone's lockscreen wallpaper. He's fierce and a crazy good shot, so I'm confident my phone is safe from all intruders now. 
> 
> Anyhow, I'm trying to figure out a good update schedule for this story, I just want to make sure I have enough chapters lined up first so it will be consistent, so hopefully within the next couple of weeks I'll have a better idea of what's going on.


	13. Wake Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ford begins to pinpoint what is happening

There was sunlight shining behind the softwood and broadleaf trees that had grown back during the end of the previous year. It seemed that she was letting the saplings grow, and he could see why. Although he had no real need to buy building materials, he had seen the prices at the market in Westown’s square, and lumber seemed fairly expensive. Why buy it, when you could easily grow and chop your own? The saplings were already growing some small branches, and he realized that there were a few more mature trees down one of the paths to the extended farmland. It didn’t appear that she was doing anything with that space, and wondered if she was waiting for some reason.

”Come on, handsome, you’ve gotta come outside sometime!”

Ford lowered his head to get a better look at the farm, to see Bri sitting cross legged in the gated part of the barn, holding a large bottle with what was presumably milk, and a little dark brown, almost black, calf head sticking out of the open door. He couldn’t help but smile at how much dedication she had for her life on the farm. He noticed, as he continued towards them, that there was freshly tilled soil on the ground, which had been watered earlier that morning. He wondered what she had planted this season, and if she was already planning on entering the next Harvest Festival for the Spring months. Did the farmers really plan that out so far in advanced? Or did they do their best with all of the produce and enter whatever seemed to have made the best progress? Bri seemed like the type of person who might have more of a plan in place. His eyes wandered to the farmer, and he saw that the calf had managed to make its way out to her, where it was now eating as she gently scratched it behind the ears. 

He continued his way towards her, and she turned her head towards him and stopped scratching the calf to give him a wave, which caused the baby to stop eating and put its head under her hand, like it was letting her know that nobody told her it was okay to stop scratching. She laughed and stood up, trying not to fall as the calf started pushing her legs to get her attention. As Ford got closer, he saw that the baby had a brown halter of some type on its head, with a lead attached to it.

”Thanks for helping me, Ford,” Bri said. “I really appreciate it.”

”It looks healthy enough,” he told her. “You know I’m not well versed in the zoological sciences?”

”I think you’ve mentioned it. Thankfully, an old friend of mine loves these guys, and just needs some information.”

Bri tried to keep the calf still so he could get draw blood samples, check its eyes, listen to its heart, and check its weight. The latter of which proved to be fairly difficult. Bri had her own scale, but getting the calf to stand on it and stay still to get a good reading was a bit challenging. The farmer suggested that she get on the scale alone, get the reading, then get on the scale again while holding the calf and then just subtracting her weight from whatever number they had together.

”It was the only way we could find out how much our old dog weighed,” she told him. “Don’t look.”

”I’m a doctor, are you truly afraid I’ll know what you weigh?”

”No, I’m afraid you’ll remember that I never went to my initial check up.”

”I never forgot. Speaking of which, care to make an appointment?”

Bri inhaled sharply, and he swore he heard her say ‘nope’ when she turned away from him to get on the scale, and he was smiling. Why was he smiling? If anyone else had been having this conversation with him, he’d be frustrated with that response. But when she did it . . . was this how everyone else around him felt? Was this what ‘normal’ was? It was so alien to him, and he didn’t think that he liked it. He wasn’t sure.

”Alright, can you hand him to me?”

Ford was taken aback. He looked from her, to the calf, and back to her. He wasn’t sure he actually could pick it up, and even further than that, doubted she could actually hold it. He walked up to it, and crouched to try not to throw out his back. He tried to pick it up around its belly, but the calf kept squirming to get away. He was taken aback when Bri was suddenly next to him, her arms gathered around the baby’s legs. She squeezed the buffalo’s legs together, and its body nested into her arms as she heaved him upwards and walked him to the scale. It was pretty clear that she couldn’t see what it read, so Ford took it upon himself to check what weight it had.

”Two hundred and sixty two,” he told her as she put the calf back on the ground with a groan.

”Minus 134? He’s 128 pounds, which should be normal,” she finished.

He looked at her with surprise. She only weighed 134 pounds? Granted, that was considered healthy for her height and age, but he always thought she seemed very slim for the work she did, and now she was confirming it. She led the calf back into the barn, and removed the lead before approaching him once again. She gave him a smile and asked if they should make their way up to the house, and she’d make them some lunch, which he was more than happy to agree to. He realized that she seemed to be trying to stretch out her back while she walked, and wondered if she might have injured herself when she picked up the calf.

”Are you alright, Bri?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

”Just tired,” she responded. “Insomnia strikes again.”

”Why didn’t you tell me? I thought you were sleeping better after we talked.”

”I was. It just comes and goes. I’ve dealt with it my whole life, Ford. It isn’t the end of the world.”

This was true, but for some reason, it upset him. She should have told him, he could have helped her, and it was frustrating that he felt like this.

”I don’t want you to get sick.”

”I won’t. It really isn’t that bad right now, honest. If it gets worse, of course I’d tell you.”

Ford eyed her as she opened the door. Once inside, his ears met the sound of music playing from her radio, which was sat next to her bed on her nightstand. He wasn’t sure what it was, but the person singing was conveying an odd philosophy, literally saying “they say we are asleep until we fall in love” and “if I die here tonight, I die in my sleep”. He always thought it was strange that so many arts originated from that extreme emotion of love and loss. He never felt the need to write poetry about the losses he suffered, and didn’t see why others did. It was part of the reason for his enjoyment of classical instrumentals. Whatever inspired the composer wasn’t blatant to the listener, and it was left open to interpretation. Bri started to hum along while she was washing her hands, and he actually enjoyed it, but she cut herself off as she went to her kitchen. 

”Oh, sorry, I can turn it off,” she told him, looking embarrassed.

”You don’t need to,” he said. “Do you sing?”

”Ha, I wish,” she grinned. “I’m sure with training, I’d be alright, but I couldn’t read sheet music if my life depended on it. 

”Do you agree with him?”

”Huh? You mean the singer?”

Ford nodded as she retrieved a pan and casserole dish from one of the cupboards. She leaned against the kitchen counter facing him, and motioning for him to have a seat and make himself at home.

” I don’t know, to be honest. I mean. . .sure, love can make someone feel differently about the world, but lots of things can do that. For example, when I first saw this farm, I felt this incredible motivation to start working the land right away! I couldn’t wait to get started. I’ve never been much of a self-starter, I was an alright student, despite what my mom says, but I always waited til the deadline to actually do anything. But, this? I feel like a completely different person here.”

Bri opened her fridge and grabbed a variety of vegetables, herbs, and even a fish, then began chopping the different ingredients, washing her knife between them, keeping the fish separate from the produce, and adding them to a pile. She began cooking some cut up potatoes in the pan, and turned on her oven so it could pre-heat. Ford looked around the house which had certainly changed since his first time on the farm. It was no longer a shack, but a proper building. He thought of that first meeting, and knew that even back then, he had been rude due to his unfamiliarity with these strange feelings. He wondered how long she felt the way she did. Did she still feel that way even after their conversation? Did she know about what happened at the festival? Someone must have told her, but she hadn’t brought it up. Maybe it was just a crush, not the real thing.

”You have your whole life before you,” the male singer’s words softly filled the room. 

Ford’s ears perked up, realizing the song had changed, and was taken aback when the person had stopped singing and was now telling the female lead that if he was a better man, he would ask her to be with him. Ford looked up at Bri, who wasn’t paying attention, still working on the meal she was cooking for them. He didn’t believe in the Harvest Goddess, or really any deity if he was honest. Coincidences occurred, mathematically they had to, but at this particular moment, he silently wondered if perhaps some otherworldly force was trying to tell him something, it was as if someone was trying to set the tone for him to tell her the truth, just as he had told her that he wanted Bri to confide in him, he was finding it incredibly difficult to reciprocate.

_I may not be an expert on love, but. . . did I hurt her with what I said? Emotional pain and anguish does need time to recover, just like physical illness and wounds. Maybe, now just isn’t the best time._

His mind also wandered to the age difference between them. He was now 34, she was only 19. He couldn’t possibly make her happy, in fact he wasn’t even sure if he could ever fight his inability to touch another person without wearing gloves. Wouldn’t she have a problem with that? She could easily find somebody else, and yet that thought brought forth this anger and sadness, which troubled him.

_Why am I upset? Bri is her own person, she can do as she pleases. She’s not another experiment to throw out._

”Everything okay?” Bri asked.

He realized he had been staring at her, and she looked concerned.

”Of course, I was just going over some equations,” he told her, with a wave of his hand.

_Liar._

”Well, the food is in the oven now. I hope you like it,” she said, a tired smile on her lips. “And don’t worry, I remember your preferences on nutrients. It should meet all of them.”

”That’s very kind of you.”

She stopped and looked him over with a raised eyebrow. He wasn’t sure if he said something wrong or not. Ford cleared his throat and motioned towards a small bookcase in the living area.

”Ah, Watership Down? A fantastic book!” he tried to change the subject, and started discussing the heavy political undertones within the story. Whatever she seemed to have been thinking appeared to have left her mind, and they continued to talk about different books they enjoyed, until she served a late lunch of tilapia and vegetable roasted casserole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What Ford doesn't realize is that I am god in this world, and he can't fight a god.
> 
> Also, I'm planning on updating this story every Friday.


	14. The Warmth of Spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri decides to participate in a festival

Spring in Lulukoko was definitely an amazing time, as different marine mammals and fish made the return migration to her shores for the breeding season, including various types of plankton. While Lotus and the mysterious professor seemed to primarily work in ancient civilizations, geology, and anthropology, Bri learned that Lotus also had an affinity for life forms that were typically so small, it could be difficult to see them. Since he had brought the buffalo calf to Cronus Farm, Lotus had visited every couple of days to check on him, but also seemed fascinated with Bri’s story of how she had come to own the farm and the deal her father had made with her.

”My dad didn’t bat an eye when I told him about my first expedition,” he told her, with that shaky voice that betrayed how nervous he was. 

”Maybe he thought you could handle it?” she proposed.

”Oh, gosh, no. I don’t know if you’ve realized, but I’m not, uh, y’know…”

Bri grew to think it was kind of cute, the way he blushed anytime someone gave him a compliment, and admired the work he did. She still hadn’t met this professor he worked with, but she sounded incredibly intelligent, though perhaps a tad bit strict. She had asked Lotus if he could introduce her to the professor, which resulted in a very anxious assistant, stuttering his words, going red as a tomato.

It had been a couple of weeks since the Harvest Festival, and one morning, Tototara had visited the farm to let Bri know about a festival that was coming up that they called Sealight Night, which was described as an evening when residents of the town would row out into the bay and watch the stars and lightning bugs hover above the water. It sounded like a lot of fun to Bri, so she decided it might be a good idea to go. When she visited the town on the morning of the festival, as she made her way down the beach looking for any shells worth selling, she noticed Lotus and a woman with braided black hair, a sun hat with purple and yellow orbs hanging from the brim, looking very similar to the man next to her, dressed for some very labor intensive work, sitting at the café. She was pushing her rectangular spectacles back up the bridge of her nose, as she explained instructions to Lotus, who was frantically copying down what she was saying. He frowned when she made a comment that he should be moving faster so they might be able to continue with their days work.

_That must be the professor. She seems…resourceful?_

Despite the scene playing out in front of her, Bri thought she may as well introduce herself, and powered through the butterflies that were fluttering in her stomach. She walked up to the counter, and Siluka gave her a kind, yet stoic nod, as she approached Lotus, who seemed thankful for a bit of a break.

”Hey Lotus,” Bri greeted with a wave. “Who’s this?”

”Oh Bri, this is Professor Mithra. She’s a famous researcher of the ancients. Professor, this is the farmer that took that calf off your hands for you,” he said, hoping Mithra might take a few minutes to converse so he might catch his breath, but he sighed as he continued to write down what the professor had just said, knowing how unlikely that would be.

”Ah, yes,” Mithra looked her up and down. “Tototara has informed me of the great service you had done me by taking the animal. But I really don’t have time for you right now, so if you don’t mind-“

”Anything I can do to help?” Bri asked.

”Not if you are as incompetent as Lotus.”

”Um… Professor?” Lotus looked from Bri to the ground. “Bri is very strong, and intelligent. She might be able to figure out your latest find.”

The whole meeting had been a catastrophe, really. Lotus nervously tried to get Mithra to reveal her research, but the professor had been adamant that it stay under lock and key for now, and made a jab at his intelligence, stating that if he was going to dawdle and make stupid declarations, he may as well take the day off. Bri thought she heard giggling as Mithra took off towards the ruins, and turned her head to see Schaulk trying to hide and contain his laughter in the shrubs below the pier the café was situated upon, and frowned at the boy, shaking her head. She looked back at Lotus who was fidgeting with his hands. Bri placed a hand on his shoulder, and he flinched at the touch, causing her to flinch as well, but he took a deep breath and exhaled before looking up at her, and giving her a small smile of appreciation for her support. 

”Sorry, she’s not having a great day,” he said.”

”She really shouldn’t treat you like that, bad day or not.”

”Oh no no no, it’s fine, really! I don’t mind much, she just gets lost in thought. I’m helping her with her life’s work, so I don’t blame her.”

”I still don’t like it,” Bri frowned at him.”

”Hey,” he said in a more cheerful tone. “Do you know about the Sealight Night?”

”Kinda, that’s supposed to be tonight, right?”

”Yup, and you deserve a break from all the hard work you do on the farm. You should definitely come down tonight. The professor isn’t interested in the stars, but she did want me to collect some samples if possible. It could be fun, unless…” he looked down again, the corners of his mouth began to droop as he began to stutter again. “unless, of c-course, you, uh, h-have other p-plans… I unders-s-stand.”

Bri considered him for a moment. She enjoyed being around Lotus, he was a lovely person, and her first choice of person to share such a moment with was… well, uninterested. There really wouldn’t be a point to inviting Ford, and even if she did, she’d just be putting him and herself into a very uncomfortable situation. Maybe this acquaintanceship with Lotus would blossom into something more? Couldn’t hurt to try, and see where the night would lead, of course. She agreed that she’d like to go with him, and his cheeks began to turn red again. She let him know that she had some errands to run until that evening, but she was looking forward to the Festival, which was very true. 

As she made her way through Lulukoko, gathering items such as vanilla, downs, and breadfruit, and of course greeting the residents as she went, Bri made sure to stop by Relacion to ask Ludus about what materials she would need to start construction on her house. She figured it was time to expand some more, and she wanted to have extra space, now that she knew Marlena and maybe even Lynn were planning to visit more often. 

After leaving Lulukoko to make her way to Tsuyukusa, she admired the smell of the the pine trees. There was just something fresh about them, and she preferred them to some of the flora in the other towns. The walk by the large river which ran past the north part of the town was always enjoyable, some of the kids were fishing with Hinata, who seemed to be having a difficult time actually catching something.

”You ARE smarter than the fish, Hinata!” she told him. 

”Not today, I’m not!” he answered. 

Once Bri was back on the farm, she sorted through the different items she had picked up, making certain to store anything she actually needed for building in the large storage chest sitting by her front door, and anything that could be used in recipes in the small fridge in the kitchen. After emptying her backpack, she walked down to the barn to check on the buffalo, who seemed to be fitting in very nicely. The calf was curled up in a ball next to Singer, who was swaying back and forth, almost like she was listening to some imaginary music. It was part of the charm of keeping alpacas and llamas. Iris was watching the calf from the other side of the barn, but upon seeing the farmer, she silently walked up to her and mooed. The sound woke the baby, whose ear twitched as he looked up.

”Hey bud,” Bri said, prompting the calf to struggle onto his feet, and run towards her. 

Bri opened the door to let him exercise in the grass, where he began to run in circles, kicking his legs up into the air, suddenly dropping to the ground. He started to roll and rub his face and neck into the dirt before ending up back on his feet, and starting the cycle all over again. Iris and Singer made their way out too, with a very different reason. Grazing had become a normal activity for them since winter had ended, and they seemed to enjoy the warmth of the sun. They wouldn’t go outside in the morning when Bri started her farm chores, she had tried to encourage it, but they appeared far more comfortable once it wasn’t as cool outside. As for Bep, she was content inside the coop, and simply wasn’t interested in seeing the great outdoors.

After playing with the calf for a bit, she decided to take a nice long shower, a small reward for the hard work she had been putting in on the farm. She looked at her hair, which had split ends after over a year of not cutting it or even getting a trim. Her thoughts wandered to how hot it had been the previous summer, and thought it may be a good idea to just chop it all off. She brushed and braided it, and made sure to put on sunblock before heading back outside. She threw on a pair of dark jeans, a yellow tank top, and a blue cardigan, and laid down on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

She thought about the festival that evening. She did want to attend, and there was nothing wrong with Lotus, but she felt like she was betraying Ford.

_But why? He already said he isn’t interested. And I know it isn’t personal, I’m not the only one. I’m not betraying him._

She could feel her eyelids becoming heavy, so she turned onto her side and set her alarm to go off an hour before the Festival began, and closed her eyes and let herself drift away.

Her dream was troubling, she dreamt that she was in her old home, back with her parents and sister. Her father was telling them that they would be moving once more to accommodate his position in the company. Lynn wasn’t very excited at the thought of leaving, but Bri was just confused.

”Bri, dear, you’ve been quiet,” Marlena said. “Are you alright?”

”You’ve gone pale,” Lynn put a hand on Bri’s arm.

”But, I…” Bri started. “I was on my farm…how did I get here?”

”Farm?” Daryl questioned. “Brianna, don’t be ridiculous. You haven’t been on a farm in years.”

”No, no,” Bri went on, starting to panic. “I was just in my house. Last time I disappeared, they all worried. I need to get back and let them know everything is okay!”

Her family looked at her with concern, Marlena put a hand on her forehead, wondering if she had a fever. Bri shook her head, and stood up, telling them that there was something wrong. She ran for the front door, and when she opened it, she was looking at Cronus Farm. She stepped through the door, and it was as if the scene that had just played around her was gone, she didn’t remember it, despite it feeling as if it had just happened. Everything felt like it was in slow motion, but somehow it seemed normal to her. She didn’t see any animals, she couldn’t smell anything, couldn’t feel anything. But there was the shadow of a person in front of her, walking down to the river on the edge of the property. Bri decided to follow the shadow, to see if she could figure out who it was. They looked familiar, but it was incredibly difficult to pinpoint them. The shadow stopped at the river, and sat down, looking over the vast forest past the fence that marked what was part of the farm and what wasn’t. She approached and sat next to them. 

”I’m glad you’re here,” the shadow told her, but she had no idea whose voice it was. 

”Where else would I be?” she asked, somehow it felt normal to just talk to them.

”That is a good question. Maybe somewhere I can’t go? Maybe some time I never met you? But you’re here, and it means the world to me.”

”I’m glad I’m here too.”

The shadow put its arm around her and she placed her head on its shoulder, and closed her eyes. Despite having her eyes closed, she somehow still could still see everything, almost an out of body experience, or a movie with the camera zooming out as she and the mysterious figure sat by the water, the sun was setting behind the massive trees that were beyond the limits of the farm. Sound began to flood her ears, birds were chirping in the distance, the sound of water hitting the rocks in the riverbed, and a steady heartbeat of the figure next to her. Except, for a heartbeat, it sure was loud.


	15. The Sealight Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri sees what the festival is all about, and sorts out her feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter one this time, the next few chapters are going to be around this length, but don't worry. There's a nice long chapter coming, next few weeks or so before that one will be out. :)

Bri bolted awake as the alarm blared out, and groaned. She hit the dismiss button on the clock, and sat up, stretching her arms. It felt like it had been a handful of minutes, but in reality several hours had gone by. It was already dark outside, so she knew it was time to get going. The mysterious shadow was fresh in her mind, though, and now that she was awake and walking to the crossroads to talk to Tototara, she tried to place who they were, but the more she thought about it, she could feel the outline and voice slipping away.

The village elder was standing at the entrance of Lulukoko, and smiled when the farmer approached her, letting her know that she was pleased Bri decided to join in the festival, and let her know she should head in and get something to eat before it began. When Bri got to the southern part of town on the beach, she noticed several tables were set up with a variety of food. Alma and Schaulk were trying to sneak some treats before their parents could see, while the young girl fretted that Caolila would know they had extra dessert, while her brother insisted everything would be fine. Lotus was listening to Zahau talk about a catch he got a few days earlier, so Bri walked up to them.

”Ah, Bri! You look tired,” Zahau greeted her. “But, trust me. The Sealight Festival is definitely something everyone should experience at least once.”

”I took a nap and almost woke up late,” she told him. “But I am excited to see it!”

Zahau nodded, and dismissed himself to tell Schaulk to leave the mother sea turtle he had just tried to feed a dessert roll alone, which left Lotus and Bri standing together. Lotus was wearing an outfit similar to his typical daily wear, without his hat. 

”Do you want to get some food?” Lotus asked, not stuttering, but certainly looking anxious.

”Yeah, that sounds good,” she told him, giving him a kind smile, and they made their way over to the tables. 

Different people that Bri had never seen in town before were starting to gather around the food, and Lotus explained that they were marine biologists who were in the town to study the marine wildlife, who had decided to see what the Festival was all about, and hoping to get a glance of some rare plankton that sometimes bloomed around springtime in tropical waters. Bri got a plate of shredded pork and fruit salad, then she and Lotus walked down by the sand to eat. The boats were all lined up for once all the guests had arrived, and the two of them sat in silence as they ate. High tide had already passed, and the sound of the ocean waves washing over the sand was very peaceful. It was one of Bri’s favorite parts of Lulukoko. While she enjoyed the plant life in Tsuyukusa, the smell of the ocean air and the calming noises that the sea provided were definitely a contender. She wondered if a place with both of these things existed, and if it did, where was it? Was it a place she could easily travel to, or would she have to really go off the beaten path? She considered that Lotus may have seen something like this in his travels, and decided to ask him.

”Ah, I’m sorry, but I’ve never been somewhere like that,” he told her. “N-not to say it doesn’t exist! I’ve just never seen that kind of place. It would probably be far in the north, I would think. The Professor might know, she’s been to tons of different parts of the world.”

”I’d love to see a place like that. Maybe I’ll ask her, if I find her in a good mood.”

”Please don’t take her the wrong way,” Lotus interjected. “She’s really is lovely if you get to know her! She just… it isn’t her fault if I’m incompetent.”

”I don’t think you’re incompetent. You seem smart and like a genuinely great person. You put up with her and she treats you like that?”

”I appreciate the thought, Bri, but I’m really clumsy, I drop her paperwork, once I even managed to get caught in a trap in an ancient temple. Mithra had to spend the whole afternoon rescuing me, time she could have been devoting to her research.”

_I guess I should just drop it. He thinks the world of her, I just hope she isn’t like that all the time._

Once everyone had eaten, Tototara announced that the Festival was to begin, and for everyone to pick a boat and follow her. Iluka was with her sister, who told her that she was going to go out with Tototara this year, that she had wanted to talk to her. Iluka asked her what she was supposed to do alone in a boat, when the village elder told her that Ludus would be more than happy to go with her, leaving them both bright red, agreeing to go- though the priestess insisted it was because she was forced. Bri couldn’t help but giggle, and helped Lotus push their boat out and then jumped in, working together to row out into the bay, following Siluka and Tototara. Lotus mentioned that he didn’t realize how strong Bri was, then apologized when she flushed with embarrassment.

”I’m so sorry, that was rude of me!” he said.”

”It’s…alright,” she sighed. “I know I’m skinny for a farmer. The doctor in Westown has let me know a few times, now.”

”Oh, that Ford guy? He’s uh…well he’s a little scary.”

Bri stifled a laugh. Ford? Scary? The only person who had called him that, as far as she was aware, was Colin! No, Ford wasn’t scary. He was eccentric, quiet, neat, intelligent, sometimes a bit rude out of ignorance, but also had this unspoken kindness despite his denial of it. Just a few of the things that really made him part of who he was, and Bri liked all of those traits.

They didn’t have to go too far away from the beach, when Tototara called out for everyone to turn off the lanterns in the boats, and one by one, each faded into darkness. But it didn’t stay dark. The sky was so full of stars, Bri was certain it would be impossible to count how many she could see in any one little section. Most of the stars looked white, but a few were red or blue, and she wondered what kind they were. She almost forgot Lotus was next to her after a few minutes, and was startled when he shook her arm. When she looked at him, she realized there was a green glow coming from beneath them, and he was gesturing towards the water. She looked at it, her jaw dropped. The water had turned a bright shimmery green, and it was glowing all throughout the bay. Lotus took a few jars out of a bag and started to gather samples of the plankton that seemed to be dancing all around them, but he was courteous to do it on the other side of the boat to not ruin the view. He showed her the jar and the plankton looked like these little worms, doing an intricate dance within the ocean water. She heard other residents oohing and ahhing at the sight of the ocean, and even heard Alma cry out that she saw fireflies. Bri had thought they got closer, and was happy that they were actually back on the mainland, but it just added another light spectacle to admire. 

The even lasted a couple of hours, and then the boats made their way back to the beach of the tropical town, and Bri helped everybody clean up, listening to the kids talk about what they saw as she worked. Lotus offered to walk her back to the farm and she thought about it, but ultimately agreed, thinking there was something she wanted to talk about as soon as possible. She waited until they were at Cronus Farm, when she turned to him.

”Hey Lotus,” she started. “Tonight was fun. I really enjoyed myself.”

”I’m glad to hear it,” he reciprocated with a nod and Bri realized he had began to sweat.

”It would be nice to spend more time together…as friends….just friends.”

Lotus sighed, and slumped his shoulders, and started to laugh.

”Thank the gods, Bri,” he said. “I enjoy being around you too, but I don’t have the constitution for dating.”

She chuckled, happy that at least his feelings weren’t hurt. They wished each other a good evening, and she headed into the house. She didn’t want to tell him everything, but for part of the time that she was in that boat, she wished it had been a certain doctor by her side instead of him. She sighed, and smiled as she lay down on the mattress, promising herself that even if it was just as friends, she was going to invite Ford to next year’s festival. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe how many people have at least clicked on this story, even if they didn't read it all the way through, I appreciate everyone who has checked it out, and of course those who have been keeping up with it! Thank you so much!


	16. Sweeter Than Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ford makes a plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating yesterday! It was a hectic day, and I just didn't have time. Enjoy!

“I never pegged you for a romantic,” Wayne looked at Ford in surprise.

”Spare me your judgment,” Ford’s voice muffled from behind his gloved hands.

”I’m just a little shocked, is all. No judgment from me.”

Wayne frowned at the doctor, who had just told him what had happened at the farm at the beginning of the month. Wayne placed his glass of water on the cork coaster sitting on Ford’s coffee table, and considered his friend, who was truly experiencing a crisis from the events he had been a part of.

”You’re the expert on this, are you not?” Ford looked up at the postmaster.

”I’m really not an expert in relationships, Ford,” Wayne told him. “I know, shocking, but until recently… well, I haven’t really had much experience in them.”

Ford raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what he meant by this, and noticed a necklace of some kind around his friend’s neck. Wayne’s eyes had wandered to the floor, which he was smiling at, with his cheeks turning pink. Ford narrowed his eyes, realizing that Wayne was wearing a pendant, signifying that he was actually dating someone.

”Recently?”

”I asked Lisette to be my girlfriend on Valentine’s day. We haven’t told anyone because we just wanted to enjoy not having the whole town talking about it. And, well, you aren’t a gossip, so I don’t mind telling ya.”

”I… I see. Congratulations, my friend.”

”But-“ Wayne shook his head, and returned Ford’s gaze. “I’m not here to talk about that. Do ya really want to just pretend nothing happened?”

”Don’t be ridiculous! Of course, I want to tell her! But… I don’t want her to think that what I feel is not genuine,” Ford groaned, and stared at the ceiling.

”I don’t really know how I can help,” Wayne frowned. 

He never thought he would see the day where Ford would be dealing with something like this, and while he did want both of his friends to be happy, and he could definitely see how they could bring the best out in each other, he was not blind to the challenges they would face. Of course, every relationship, whether it be romantic, platonic, or familial, had obstacles the individuals would need to overcome. The fact that this was a man who had no experience whatsoever when it came to romance did present itself as a very strange difficulty. He wasn’t a teenager playing the field, and Wayne realized he really didn’t know anything about Bri’s history of past boyfriends, girlfriends, or whatever her preference might be. Ford was the only person he had seen that she had taken an interest in.

”Ya consider her to be a friend, right?” Wayne finally said after a couple minutes of silence, during which Ford was staring at his hands.

”Yes.”

”What’s her full name?”

”Brianna Hall,” Ford gave him a look. “The same surname that Frank has.”

”Actually…” Wayne said carefully, not wanting to upset the doctor. “Daryl took Marlena’s name when they married. You’re so used to ignoring any information you think isn’t important, you barely know anything about her. Before you tell her, try getting to know her better?”

Wayne was surprised when he saw Ford’s cheeks go scarlet, as he crossed his arms, still avoiding eye contact. Ford began to go over every conversation he and Bri had engaged in during the past, searching his memories to be certain that this hadn’t come up. If she had gone to her initial physical, he would have had that in his records, but she had avoided going to the clinic for anything that was not to simply visit or to do a part time job before she had the funds to stay afloat just through her farming. Sure enough, while she had come around fairly often at the beginning of December to visit before the Sanchez Incident, she really only talked about the farm or future projects. She would try to learn more about him, but his attitude and bluntness would shut down conversation. Despite all of this, Bri still harbored attraction to him. She was a mystery to him, in more ways than one, but he thought he knew what he should do. 

”Yes… of course,” Ford whispered, then finally looked at Wayne, and spoke up. “This is new to me, and I appreciate your advice.”

”I’m happy to help. I should get back to the post office, I have to sort the new deliveries,” the postmaster told him as he stood and stretched. Ford nodded, and got to his feet as well and walked Wayne to the door. He thanked him once more, and Wayne heard the door close and latch behind him once he was outside. It was Saturday, and he wanted to finish his work so he could spend some time with Lisette out at the overlook.

As he walked, Noel and Collin ran by, and they began to play with the beagle that spent time outside the clinic. He considered reminding them to be careful of the doctor’s herb garden, but they looked like they were steering clear of it. He recalled some antics the previous summer, when Noel had roped Collin into a scheme of filling Bri’s mailbox with fireflies. It was meant to be a harmless prank, Noel had said she thought that when Bri opened the mailbox, a bunch of the lightning bugs would erupt out and surprise her. The problem was, Bri hadn’t checked her mail in a couple of days because she hadn’t been expecting any mail at the time, and Wayne had been the one to find the dead insects inside the mailbox. Bri had scolded the kids about what they had done, then sent them home, but Megan and Miranda weren’t having it. They were adamant that the kids should help out on the farm, and if anything Bri didn’t seem to mind, once the shock of the event had passed. She had the kids help her build bee hive boxes, and let them pick what kind of flowers to use. It had been hard work, but after awhile, Noel and Collin had brought small jars of honey back to their families to show the fruits of their labor. The women were pleased with the results, and reminded them not to try that again.

It was Hector’s birthday, and Wayne’s morning had been busy dropping off letters and a couple gifts for the quiet man. Ever since his wife’s passing, Hector had been far quieter than normal, and despite looking like a large stern man, he was a gentle soul, and wanted the best for his son. He tried to be both father and mother, and Wayne enjoyed being the person to bring him some well wishes. One of the packages had been from Bri, and although Hector hadn’t shared what it was, the man looked very happy. Collin had asked Wayne if he wanted to have breakfast with them, but he had declined, needing to continue with his deliveries. He was a good kid, really. Maybe a bit gullible, but he wasn’t a hellion like Wayne had been as a child. 

There really wasn’t a whole lot of mail to sort through, but Wayne preferred to have it ready to go in the morning. Ford had initially helped him come up with an organization plan that was a huge help to the daily operations at the post office. Sure, Brad and Wayne would tease the doctor on his pristine organization skills, but they truly were great for running a business. As he was going through the deliveries that would need to be sent out the next day, he heard the door of the office open, close, and then light footsteps approach the counter.

”Wayne!” Lisette’s voice called out. “I finished my project with Miranda earlier than I thought, and thought I’d see if can I help you out at all.”

Wayne turn towards her and smiled.

”Well, thank you very much,” he said, walking around the counter to see her. She had braided her hair today, with baby blue ribbons on the ends, matching a lovely light blue dress with small white polka dots, and a tan apron about her waist, the pendant showing she was dating around her neck. Wayne, of course, believed in looking your best, and knew a little bit about fashion, but with Lisette? She was beautiful no matter what she wore. He grabbed one of her hands, and gave it a kiss, earning him one of those lovely bell like laughs that only she could do.

”What can I help with?” she asked him.

Lisette made sure that the letters were all in neat little stacks, by town, based on Wayne’s daily mail route, so that it would be easier to deliver everything without too much hassle. Two people working on them made the task go rather quickly, and, once they had finished, Wayne had Lisette sit while he poured them both some sweet tea.

”So, what do ya think?” he asked.

”About?”

”Talking about us dating. I told Ford today, I know he wouldn’t tell anyone before we said it was alright, but it has been about a month.”

”I think we’ve waited long enough,” Lisette smiled, and grasped at the pendant around her neck, which had been tucked into the neck of her dress. To anyone else, it just looked like a necklace, but she thought the girls might know something was up, but hadn’t asked. 

” You make me happier than I’ve ever been, Lisette. It’s like I wanna shout it from a mountain,” he walked up to her, glasses of tea in hand, offering her one and then his arm. She stood, wound her arm in his own, and they left the post office, and began their walk up to the overlook.

The sun was just beginning to set, and the view of the town and surrounding cliffs was serene with the giant orange globe on the horizon. The sky was painted with pinks yellows and orange close to the sun, and as you looked away from it, darker pinks, light purples, and blues sat high in the sky. Behind them, the moon was shining down on them, stars around it. It was the perfect place for a quiet date. The couple stood close to each other, Wayne had one arm out of his jacket, and wrapped around Lisette’s waist, while the shoulder sat upon her own, he face nestled into the crook of his shoulder. The night air was still quite chilly, and the warmth that she felt from Wayne was comforting and brought her peace. He dropped his head, to rest in her hair, and gently kissed the crown of her head. She tensed a little, but then hugged him tighter. She knew how he felt, she also wanted to just shout her love for him from the rooftops, but also didn’t want the two of them to pestered about it. But being with him like this, feeling the love he also had for her, she didn’t care what people would say. She would love this man to the moon and back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, as always, thank you for reading, the kudos, and comments! They really do mean a lot to me. I'm still blown away that people actually enjoy the story! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!


	17. Overworked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain brainy individual finds themselves overworked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys, I am so sorry. You're going to get two chapters this week because I missed Friday.

“Hey Bri!” Dessie called out from the behind the waterfall. 

The farmer had been bringing the goddess strawberries ever since the first harvest of the season, and small deity had truly been enjoying the gifts, and decided to do something for her in return. Bri walked over to her, and looked around to make sure nobody would see her talking to Dessie, since other adults couldn’t see the green haired girl, she didn’t want to look like she was talking to herself. She sat down, her back against the cliff, which wasn’t uncomfortable, just a little stiff. 

“Good morning, Dessie,” Bri greeted. “How are you today?” 

“Oh, I’m having a little trouble with my magic,” the deity frowned. “B-but, that’s not why I called you over here! I wanted to ask if you could help me with something, and in return I could help you!” 

“Y’know I would help you anyways, Dessie.” 

“Yeah, but I think you’ll like this.” 

“What do you need me to do?” 

“Well, I’m not the only deity in the area. I actually had two friends, who’ve been asleep for a long time. I know that you are busy and I hear that school will be starting for the kids soon. It gets a little lonely, even for me. I was wondering if you could help me wake up Witchie.” 

Bri cocked her head in confusion. She had never heard of ‘Witchie’, and wondered how she’d be able to help. She assumed that to an immortal being like Dessie or the Harvest Goddess, the stated ‘long time’ could have meant hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. Sure, she could see Dessie, but she had never seen the Harvest Goddess, and wondered if she’d even be able to see this other individual. 

“I’ll do what I can, but what if I’m not able to-“ 

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll go with you. If you can’t see her, I’ll guide you.” 

“Well, alright then. What do you need me to do?” 

“We need to talk to that professor in Lulukoko. She is close to opening up the sacred temple, but with your help, we can wake up Witchie.” 

Bri thought about this for a moment. Mithra was working on opening the temple? She was a little surprised that Tototara was allowing her to do such a thing, although she supposed that the village elder would want to know what history of their home held, and what secrets may lie within such an incredible part of their village. But, on the other hand, she wasn’t thrilled with the idea of meeting with Mithra again, but perhaps Lotus had been right, that she was just preoccupied, and maybe wasn’t actually that bad. 

_I guess there’s no harm in at least trying._

“We should definitely go right now,” Dessie said. “It might take a little convincing to get the professor to let you help with the project. 

_Great_ , Bri thought, as she and the green haired girl began their trek towards the tropical town. Dessie was incredible excited about her friend’s awakening, and began telling Bri about adventures they used to have, mentioning a feud that had erupted between their families, and how maybe one day they’d be reunited with their other friend Inari. 

“Inari?” Bri asked. 

“Have you heard of them?” 

“I think I heard Komari say that. 

“That makes sense, Inari is the deity for Tsuyukusa! They are so incredibly talented, kind, and they are almost like an older sibling to me and Witchie at times. I hope they can wake up soon… but, one project at a time, and we’d need Witchie to even do that.” 

It would have been an understatement to say that Bri was confused, but she decided to simply drop it, as they made it out of the crossroads. Bri saw the vendors starting to close up shop for their lunch, and wondered where she would even find the professor. As if on cue, Caolila walked out from behind her stall with Lotus behind her, stuttering apologies, while Caolila looked throroughly annoyed. 

”Lotus, I already told you, it is fine!” she said. 

“P-please let me make it up to you! I truly d-didn’t mean to knock over the disp-play!” 

“No! No no no, really, you already helped me clean up, now I really need to go make some lunch for my family.” 

“Lotus!” Bri called out, and he turned towards her, still frowning. Caolila sighed and ran off towards her house. 

“O-oh, Bri,” he said, fiddling with his fingers, and dropping his eyes to the ground. 

“Are you alright?” 

“Ah, yes. I just… I was doing some shopping for the professor, and I must have not been paying attention. I accidentally knocked over one of Caolila’s glass displays. The merchandise was ruined, but she wouldn’t let me make it up to her.” 

“I’m sorry, Lotus. But, it sounded like you already did. Are you going to be okay?” 

“I’ll… I’ll be fine,” he sighed, moving his right arm across to his left shoulder, and rubbing it. 

“Listen, Lotus, I was wondering if there’s anything I can do to help Mithra with her research.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, she and I got off on the wrong foot, and I want to see if I can help out at all.” 

“Well, come with me. I don’t know if she’ll let you, but I guess it doesn’t hurt to try.” 

Bri looked at Dessie out of the corner of her eyes, and saw the girl look absolutely gleeful, almost bouncing with excitement, and the farmer couldn’t help be smile, as they followed Lotus towards a pathway that wrapped behind Zahau’s house and on top of the little hill, was a small wooden building that had an outstanding view of the ocean. Up until Bri met Lotus, she had understood that this building was empty, but Schaulk and Alma would play up here sometimes. She had seen Lotus in the Inn at times, and thought that maybe they were staying there, but now that she saw the small house, she realized how silly her first impression had been. Of course they couldn’t do much from the Inn, they would definitely need a larger space. Lotus opened the door, and motioned for Bri to go ahead of him. 

The room was large and circular, a couple of cots, a desk with papers strewn about, different items that looked ancient were everywhere. Behind the desk, Mithra was sitting down, looking at a stone tablet with intricate markings that looked like writing. She didn’t look up at them until Lotus closed the door behind them. 

“Lotus, what did I tell you?” she asked harshly. “We cannot entertain guests!” 

“Actually, Mithra,” Bri began, “I wanted to try and help you with your research.” 

“Hmm,” Mithra looked her up and down. “Yes… as a farmer, you have access to a great deal of resources that could be very helpful. Very well, and I congratulate you on your insight.” 

“Uh, thank you?” 

“Go on, Bri!” Dessie said. “Ask her about the temple.” 

“Um, Lotus mentioned something about the ruins?” Bri asked. “I thought I could see how I could help with that.” 

“Perfect timing, then,” the professor grinned, and adjusted her glasses. “I happen to be decoding this tablet. It seems to be a riddle of some kind, but I must admit that I’m having some trouble figuring it out.” 

“Professor,” Lotus finally spoke up. “Please take a break. You need to rest, or we’ll need to get you a doctor.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Lotus,” Mithra snapped at him, but quickly hunched over the desk, removed her glasses, and pinched at the line they made in her nose, wincing. Lotus and Bri ran to her side, Bri put a hand on the professors forehead, and asked Lotus to get Mithra a glass of water. 

“Mithra, he’s right. If you don’t rest, how are you going to finish your research? He’s here to help you, y’know? You should lay down, Lotus can help me with the riddle, and if we find anything at all, we’ll let you know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, again, I'm very sorry. I'm currently going through some medical stuff, but don't have a clear diagnosis yet, but I'm working on getting a bunch of chapters pre-written, so if something happens again when I wouldn't be able to upload, my husband might be able to do it. I have no plans of quitting this story, at least not in the near future. 
> 
> You guys are all awesome, and I love knowing you're enjoying :D


	18. Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ruins are opened

“I don’t need to rest, I need to find the answer to this riddle,” Mithra told her. “I’ll take a break when I crack this code. Come, come, look.” 

Bri took a closer look at the tablet, and couldn’t make heads or tails of the writing, but noticed pictures in the corners that looked an awful lot like something familiar. 

“You see, it is talking about how this land was originally cultivated, and about trade with other places. Sea travel was the primary way of learning about your neighbors during this time, and it appears that some plant was brought here from a far off country across the sea, that the seeds were used to make oils for cooking and light sources. But I can’t figure out the translation for the plant they used,” the professor lamented to her. “Can you recognize it at all?” 

“Um…” Bri continued to study the pictures. “It kinda looks like a radish.” 

“That’s what I thought at first too, but according to this, it was a lot larger than a radish.” 

“The only think I can think of is a turnip,” Bri said. “But, I’m not…” 

Dessie cut in with a “Bri, check your pack!”, causing the farmer to stumble her words. Her pack suddenly felt slightly heavier, and when she opened it, she found a huge turnip sitting on top of her basic items. 

“Wow, Bri!” Lotus exclaimed. “You must be good luck!” 

“This is exactly what we need!” Mithra smiled. “Come on, Bri, we need to get to the ruins!” 

With that, Mithra was out the door, charging her way towards the ruins on the north side of town, Lotus and Bri trailing behind her, the stone tablet and turnip in their hands. When they finally got to the ruins, Mithra was studying the altar of the outer part of the temple, while Lotus struggled to get his breath back. 

“Any…huff… ideas?” Lotus hyperventilated. 

“Of course I have ideas,” Mithra snapped. “There seems to be some kind of trigger, on the altar. The markings on the altar seem to show a weight system, so a pressure plate is far more likely. Bri! Put the turnip over here, we’ll see if it does anything.” 

Bri approached, placed the vegetable where Mithra had gestured towards, and waited. Nothing happened. She stayed quiet as Mithra began to mumble her words and made her way around the entire altar, trying to translate. Lotus stood next to her with a booklet and a pen, writing down the things she was saying. Every now and again, Mithra would use the booklet and write something down too, then back to her stone carvings. After about an hour, Bri cleared her throat. 

“So… what do you think we need to do?” she asked. 

“It appears there’s a lot more to this. To open the door, the item and the tablet must be placed at precisely the right time. When are turnips in season, Bri?” 

“Spring.” 

“Then we are in luck, because if we did this at any other time, the door won’t open. This is quite a feat of engineering and design!” 

“Wait, wait, how would the altar even know what season it is? You can buy turnips year round in cities, they are imported from all over the world.” 

“To be more accurate,” Mithra pushed her glasses back up her nose. “there is mercury within the altar. Depending on the season, it will change and the altar reacts accordingly.” 

“I’m sorry, did you just say that there is a poisonous metal INSIDE the altar? Is it safe to be touching it without gloves?” 

“Mercury is actually an element, that can be either liquid or metallic solid, but yes. It is perfectly safe. The mercury would need to be incased in some sort of container, otherwise, the altar wouldn’t function properly. I suppose there’s a way to trick the altar into thinking it is a different season if we had to, but it could prove quite difficult. Alright, Bri, pick up the turnip again, and let’s place both of these at the same time.” 

“Wait… what? Shouldn’t Lotus be doing this?” 

“Go on, Bri” Lotus said with a kind smile. “Without you, we may not have gotten this far!” 

“On the count of three,” Mithra said. “One… two… three!” 

The tablet and turnip both hit the top of the altar, when they heard a loud clicking sound, and one of the large slabs of stone in the ruins slowly opened up. Mithra and Lotus ran inside with excitement, and Dessie was right behind them. When Bri entered the space behind the slab, she could see ancient treasure galore, but what caught her eye was that it almost looked like a bedroom, and in the corner, a small girl, maybe the same age in appearance to Dessie, with curly blonde hair pulled up into ponytails, was sleeping in a bed that looked like a frog. 

“Sure is dark in here, Professor,” Lotus said, much to Bri’s surprise. 

Did it really look dark to them? There were torches on the walls, and Bri could see perfectly fine, as if they were outside, in fact. 

“Yes, we’ll need to bring some equipment. Come on, you two, let’s go get some lights, carts, and…” Mithra’s voice trailed off. 

“Bri, that’s Witchie!” Dessie told her. “Looks like she’s still asleep. Thank you so much! I’m going to stay here with her until she wakes up, you should help them out.” 

Bri nodded, and turned back to Lotus and Mithra who were examining what they could in whatever lighting they seemed to have. They were making their way out, and when the sun hit them again, Bri realized that Mithra looked incredibly pale. When she asked her if she was alright, she said it was just all of the excitement, and that they should head back to get the equipment they needed to get everything out of that space. Bri nodded, but there was a commotion once they opened the door of their research office. 

Mithra staggered as she walked inside, and reached her arm outwards to the wall to keep her on her feet, but her legs crumbled beneath her, and she sank to the ground. Lotus was thankfully right behind her and reached out to catch her, barely stopping her head from hitting the floor. He was rightfully in a panic, but Bri was able to get him calm enough to go for help. Bri reached around Mithra, and managed to get her flat on her back on the ground. She searched her memories of basic first aid, trying to remember what she should do for now. 

_Okay, okay. She’s breathing, but her eyes are still closed. Do I lift her head? Or is it her legs?_

“Mithra, are you alright?” Bri asked while shaking her lightly, hoping she may regain consciousness. 

She did open her eyes, but seemed to strain to do so, and her eyes searched the room to figure out what had just happened. 

“I… just…” the professor began, but her voice trailed off. 

“Take it easy, Lotus is getting the doctor right now.” 

The door flew open and two people rushed in, and came to Bri’s side. She looked up and saw Ludus and his grandmother. 

“Tototara!” Bri said in surprise. “What are you both doing here?” 

“Ludus and I were having lunch when Lotus ran by,” she told the farmer. 

“He looked like he was going to pass out,” Ludus added. “He mentioned that Mithra had fainted, and that he was getting Ford. We wanted to see if we could help at all.” 

While they waited, Ludus was able to move Mithra to her cot, and while Tototara made sure she kept drinking water, Bri used what little space the professor had to make her something to eat, to at least get her energy up. Ludus brought bananas and eggs over after he had moved her, and helped Bri cook. 

It was about an hour before Lotus returned with Ford, who immediately called for everyone to get away from Mithra, and put a pillow under her legs to elevate them. He checked her pulse, asked her simple questions such as what day it was, what was her name, what town was she in, and what was her profession, to all of which Mithra was able to answer with confidence. Ford asked her to recount what happened before she lost consciousness, and nodded after she answered. 

“Well, Mithra, I think it is clear that you are overworked,” Ford told her, as he removed a small vial from his pocket, which contained a green liquid. “You’ll be fine, but I strongly encourage that you rest. I understand what your research means to you, but if you do not take care of yourself, how will you continue your work? You need to know when to take a break. I want you to drink this, and get some sleep.”


	19. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ford takes a step forward, and reveals the true nature of his feelings.

Ford packed up, and started to leave, before he looked at Bri. He motioned for her to follow him outside, and she was actually wondering if he was about to scold her or something, by the serious look he had on his face. Once they were outside, he stood still, facing the ocean in silence, so she simply waited for him to talk. The way he stood there, she wanted to hold his hand, and let him know how much she cared about him. These feelings still hurt, but she was more than happy now to be able to at least be around him. He turned around, and her eyes met those lovely lilac irises. 

“Bri, you did a great job with Mithra before my arrival,” he said, which took her by surprise. “I’m very impressed.” 

“It was terrifying,” she admitted. “Everything I learned from basic first aid went out the window.” 

“But you did the one important thing, you remained calm so you could use your best judgment, and you made sure someone else came and got me. You recognized that the situation could have been more serious if Lotus had stayed with Mithra instead of you. Even if it wasn’t conscious thought, your long term memory served you well, and it helped Mithra to recover.” 

“I… thank you?” she said, a little confused. It seemed to be a compliment, but she wasn’t entirely certain how to take the information he was giving her. 

“You are quite welcome.” 

He seemed like he wanted to say something else, but had fallen silent. It looked as though he was studying her face. 

“Ford?” 

“Bri, I made a mistake.” 

“Wait, what?” 

“What I told you… last winter… I shouldn’t have spoken so quickly.” 

“About what, exactly?” Bri asked nervously. 

“When I told you that I wasn’t interested in marriage or relationships. I think I hurt you when I said that, for which I am very sorry. The truth is, I wasn’t thinking when I said it. For the first time in my life, Bri, I think I feel for you in a way I’ve never felt for anybody before. I want to know more about you, I want to be closer to you. I understand if you feel that what I am saying isn’t genuine, but I hope that you might give me a chance.” 

Bri stood there with a dumbfounded look on her face, as though she was wondering if she was actually hearing this right. Ford realized that she seemed to be shaking, and her eyes held confusion. He wasn’t entirely certain if he should continue or not, but felt that he owed her the truth of the situation. 

“I know there’s quite the age difference between us, and if you have moved on, I want you to know that I will respect your wishes. At the harvest festival, someone suggested that your affections had been towards another man, and it upset me. It was ridiculous of me to feel the way I did, you are your own person, I have no ownership of you. I must ask for your forgiveness for the possessiveness I’ve been feeling.” 

“I… wow,” Bri said quietly, and was taken aback further when her hands were being held by Ford’s, the clean fabric of his gloves were warm thanks to his body heat. It was a comforting warmth, but while her heart was pounding, her head begged for her to keep her cool and assess what was happening. 

“You don’t have to give me an answer now,” he went on. “I know there’s likely quite a bit on your mind.” 

“Ford, wait,” she interrupted. “I haven’t moved on. I tried going on a date to a festival, but the entire time I kept thinking about you, and how much I wished you had been there with me. Wayne and Ludus told me what Brad said, and I wanted to wait to say anything until you were ready to talk. I’m not interested in Ludus like that. He’s like a brother; I couldn’t see him any other way.” 

Ford’s eyes had gone wide, and the corners of his lips were curving into a darling smile. She smiled back at him, and squeezed his hands. 

“Brianna, I don’t know exactly how this type of thing works. I don’t know if I am ready to date, but I do want to let you know my intentions. I think we should know more about each other before making such a decision. I may need your help along the way, for right now, I have some personal goals I wish to accomplish before moving forward.” 

“That is perfectly fine, Ford,” Bri chuckled, her eyes were tearing up. “I completely understand what you mean, and I agree. There’s a ton I still want to know about you, too.” 

“I’m glad to hear it. Would you like me to walk you home?” 

“I would love that, Ford.” 

Ford felt any embarrassment and anxiety that he had initially been worried about melt away. He wasn’t surprised that she might try to become better acquainted with another person after his rejection, but deep down he pleased that he had gotten his feelings off his chest, it actually felt like a weight had been lifted off of him. As they walked, taking their time, he thought about what Wayne had mentioned. 

“I know this might sound ridiculous, but were you aware that I don’t even know your last name?” he asked. 

“That doesn’t sound ridiculous at all, I don’t know yours either. There aren’t many doctors that go by their first names.” 

“No, I suppose not. I don’t feel ready to talk about why I don’t use it, but if anyone in these towns should know, I want it to be you, Bri. My last name is Ryan.” 

Bri liked it, but didn’t want to push him. He had this odd far off look in his eyes, something he was thinking about. She did remember him saying he didn’t have a positive relationship with his parents, and she wondered if using his last name reminded him of them. Could they have truly been that terrible? 

“Bauer.” 

“What?” he asked. 

“Bauer, it’s my last name,” she slowly and gently reached for his hand, careful not to touch the small bit of wrist which was exposed. 

“Brianna Bauer,” Ford said, locking eyes with her. “I’m happy to know it.” 

“Well, you asked, so I have a question for you. How long have you lived in Westown?” 

“I…” Ford flushed, and scratched the back of his head. “Quite some years, I must admit. I wasn’t the youngest individual to get my PhD, but I moved to the area about a year after I received my Doctorate. It has been, goodness, 11 years now.” 

“You never became bored? Staying in one place for that long?” 

“Not at all. I don’t require much excitement in my life. As you are well aware, if I’m not working helping my patients, I am making medicines and tinctures. At times, I must travel to the other towns to check on some individuals, sometimes for emergencies, but sometimes planned visits. I was the one that delivered most of the children within the towns, and helped their mothers through their pregnancies, and I imagine I will continue to do so as long as I am practicing. Huh? What’s that look on your face?” 

“N-nothing” she blushed at him. “I just enjoy seeing how passionate you are about your work.” 

The rest of their walk was peaceful, Ford was nervous about anybody possibly seeing him like this, but Bri maintained her distance when he thought someone might be watching. Once in the crossroads, which were empty, they noticed the few wild creatures scurrying off to their dens and holes, and by the time they were in front of her house, he had fallen silent. Bri didn’t mind, she just enjoyed having everything out on the table between them. 

“Would… would you like to come inside?” she asked. “I could make some coffee.” 

“No, thank you,” Ford said. “I think I’ve had more excitement today than I was planning. Perhaps another time.” 

“Oh, alright.” 

“Would you be free on Saturday? Perhaps we could talk more then.” 

“The animal festival is that day.” 

“Ah, yes of course.” 

“I know you aren’t much of an animal person, but if you want, you could walk Iris and I back to the farm and I’ll make that coffee.” 

“That sounds fine to me, maybe I’ll see you a little earlier. Have a good evening, Bri.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are still enjoying so far! Thank you for reading!


	20. Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sisters can bring joy, but every now and again, they can be mildly annoyed.

Bri had awoken a few days after Ford revealed his feelings to her, to the sound of knocking at her door. She bolted upright at the sound, her heart racing due to her shock, and groaned when she looked at the clock on her nightstand. It was about 5 in the morning, and she apparently had not turned her alarm on the night before. She should have already been awake and watering her crops out on the farm. 

Without giving much thought to the fact that she was wearing pajama pants with little cats all over them, and an oversized black t-shirt, with her hair disheveled, and eyes looking like that of a raccoon, Bri calmly walked up to her front door, and opened it. As soon as she had, she was greeted with a very loud voice yelling “SURPRISE”, which almost made her heart jump out of her chest in terror. 

“Don’t do that, Lynn!” she scolded her little sister. 

“Hey, shouldn’t you be doing farm stuff, Bri?” Lynn teased as she crossed her arms. 

“Yeah, yeah. Come in.” 

It wasn’t that Bri was unhappy to see her sister, but she definitely would have appreciated a bit more warning. Lynn sat at her dining room table and marveled at the farm house, while Bri started making some coffee. 

“Wow, you really did move out to the sticks, huh?” Lynn teased, and Bri rolled her eyes. It was astounding to her how, despite how much she missed her, she could so quickly become annoyed with her at the same time. Although, it was nice to know that while they had been apart for so long, they could pick up where they left off, almost as if they never were away. 

“I missed you too, little sister,” Bri told her. “Did you want to help me with my chores? It will go by faster, y’know.” 

“I was actually thinking breakfast sounded good. Mom made me some sandwiches, but I may have eaten them on the trip over.” 

“Sounds like you, Lynn. Well, if you want breakfast, you have to get the ingredients first.” 

“But you are already by the fridge.” 

“Alright, yes, and those aren’t the ingredients we’ll be using. Let me get dressed really quick, and we’ll get started.” 

Lynn, while teasing when she could, actually was fascinated by the farm. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw what great quality the crops were, and Bri showed her the difference between some starter crops, first timers, and the ones that had been cultivated and fertilized over a long amount of time. It was clear, even to her untrained eyes, that there was definitely hard work put into the crops that Cronus Farm produced. It took about an hour for them to water everything, and pick the few strawberries that were ready to harvest, before they moved towards the barn. Lynn was a little apprehensive about being right next to the animals, though. 

“Maybe I can just stay out here,” she said. 

“Lynn Bauer, are you afraid of cows?” Bri teased. 

“Ha ha, I know for a fact that you have other animals in there.” 

“Don’t worry, kiddo, they’re well behaved.” 

Lynn still wasn’t certain of this, having never gone to the farms with Marlena when she was younger, but took a deep breath and followed Bri into the barn. Upon entering, the newest addition ran up to them, making low vocalizations at them, slowly followed by the alpaca, and finally the cow. Lynn moved behind Bri and carefully watched the animals, approach to get their breakfast. 

“Okay, we saw them, let’s go,” Lynn told Bri. 

“They are just hungry, Lynn. Go ahead and hang out by the door, I’ll lead them over to the trough.” 

Bri produced some of the feed that Iris and Singer had been eating in preparation of the Animal Festival the next day, and slowly walked over to the feeder, placing it inside. The two followed her and happily began to eat, but the calf was still watching Lynn, his ears up and forward, eyes unblinking. 

“Uh, Bri?” 

The farmer turned around, and got down on her knees, and called the calf over. Instantly, he turned away, and bounded up to Bri, like a large dog bringing a ball to its human. Bri scratched him behind the ears, and stood up, holding her hands, palms up, in front of her. The calf also got onto his hind legs, and placed his front legs into her hands. 

“Hey bud!” Bri said. “Did you already eat? Do you want some carrots?” 

She helped him back to the ground and went to the storage container by the door, and took out a small black pan, and filled it with a grass cut, a few sliced up carrots, and pellets. The calf did not eat right away, however, and he stood there and watched her. 

“What?” Bri asked him. “There’s your food.” 

The calf did not respond. 

“Okay, okay, you really want to practice, huh?” 

The calf continued to stare, until Bri lifted one finger in the air, and twirled it in a spinning motion. The buffalo excitedly ran in a circle, and received a piece of a crispy treat, then began to eat his breakfast too. 

“You realize that is not a dog, Bri.” 

“Thanks, Lynn, I had no clue. Now that they are calm and eating, we need to brush them, and get milk from Iris. It is really easy, you can brush Iris, she’s very calm.” 

The morning was definitely out of the ordinary for Lynn, but she could see the appeal of farm life. It was hard work, just like Daryl had said, but Bri was actually pretty good at it, and really cared about her crops and animals in a way she never thought possible. After a great breakfast, Bri took a shower, and got ready for the day, and they sat inside to relax. Bri didn’t get to do this very often, but Lynn wasn’t like Marlena, wanting to see everything in one go. She wanted to just have some time to not do anything, and after being put to work, she definitely thought she deserved it, and Bri agreed with her. 

“Just so you know,” Lynn began while they were sitting in the living area. “Dad thinks you finished the last trials way too fast.” 

“Seriously? It took months to do that!” 

“He says it should have taken longer, though. He’s wondering if Uncle Frank is helping you.” 

“Not like that, I’m not cheating on the trials. Uncle Frank offers me advice and all that, but he isn’t completing tasks for me.” 

“Hey, leave me out of your feud with Dad. I’m just the messenger.” 

“I’m pretty sure that would be Wayne.” 

“Huh?” 

“Oh, sorry. Force of habit.” 

“So… who’s Wayne?” 

“A friend.” 

“Oh, really now? A friend? What kind of friend?” 

Bri threw a pillow at Lynn. 

“Not that kind of friend. He is the postmaster here, AND I’ll have you know that he is dating another friend of mine.” 

“Well, that’s boring,” Lynn pouted. “Anyways, Dad told me to give you the next trial. I, uh, may have taken a peek, and I hope you are planning on winning the festival tomorrow.” 

“Seriously? Winning a festival is what he wants?” 

“Among other things, but that isn’t the point. Bri, he wants you to win at the Expert level.” 

“Expert? Iris and I aren’t even close to ready for that!” 

“I think Dad knows that. You’ll get there, sis, but while you try to do that, there are other things he wants you to do.” 

“Great… thanks.” 

“Just take your time, everything will work out. He’s not going to abduct you or something.”


	21. Mr. D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new competitor enters the mix

“Right, so Wayne and Lisette said they could take you to the Festival grounds,” Bri told her sister the morning of the animal festival. “And if you don’t mind, I usually stay to see Uncle Frank compete in the higher ranks.” 

“Of course I don’t mind, I want to root for him too. What rank are you competing in?” 

“I almost want to try for Expert, but I’m really not ready for it, and neither is Iris. It’s a safer bet for us to do Veteran, as planned. Besides, Stephanie probably won’t even let me compete in the high levels.” 

“Ugh, don’t let Dad make you second guess yourself. There’s nothing wrong with going at your own pace.” 

They both sat up at a knocking on Bri’s door, and Bri went ahead to answer it, not surprised to see the postmaster and florist arm in arm on her porch. Wayne tipped his hat, while Lisette gave a small wave. 

“Hey Bri, good luck today!” Wayne told her, a huge smile on his face. 

Bri couldn’t help but notice the two of them were wearing pendants, and was ecstatic. 

“Thanks, and congratulations you two! That’s exciting!” she told them, making Lisette blush. 

“Hi there, I’m Lynn,” her sister approached. “Thanks for taking me along!” 

“It’s no problem at all,” Lisette told her. “We’re excited to finally meet you! I’m sure everyone else is, too. Bri, shouldn’t you get going?” 

“Yeah, I was just finishing up, and then I’ll get Iris. Thanks, you two.” 

What Bri had to finish up, was something that in her mind was a little silly. Lynn had actually heard from their mother about Westown’s doctor, and had brought a few outfits with her. Marlena had thought it might help clear the air a little. Bri looked at the dresses and sighed. Of course Marlena and Lynn would decide to play match maker, although it wouldn’t be a bad idea to present herself with something less casual at festivals. She decided to pick a flowing blue tunic blouse that Lynn had brought with her, as well as a pair of light denim jeans. She had curled her hair the night before, and after letting them out, she felt like her reflection was a completely different person. 

_And if Ford likes it, that’s just a bonus._

Iris was already out to pasture, and it was very easy for Bri to attach the lead and start walking the cow out to the crossroads to talk to the MC of the event. The girl was still there and signed Bri and Iris up for the event, then reminded her of where they needed to go. 

The walk to the festival grounds was actually quite nice, and spring was a wonderful time to be on the path. She usually didn’t see many contestants on the actual walkway, but this morning was quite different. There was someone ahead of her wearing what looked like armor, almost like that of a medieval knight. 

_But they don’t have an animal with them… Who are they?_

“Ah, hello there,” the person said upon noticing her. “Are you competing in today’s animal festival?” 

“Um, hi,” Bri responded, unsure of how much she wanted to say to them. “Yeah, are you a contestant?” 

“Yes, although it has been a good many years since I did a competition.” 

“Oh? Why did you stop?” 

“Ah, it is a long story. I was a farmer for many years, and life threw a few obstacles at me that forced me to do something else with my life. It wasn’t what I wanted to do, but it was something I felt I needed to do. It was difficult to come to terms with, but I wanted to make my father happy.” 

“Didn’t your father consider your feelings, though?” 

“I never really brought it up to him, but from your tone, I surmise that you have gone through something similar, eh?” 

“Well… it’s also kind of a long story.” 

“Well, we have the whole walk there.” 

“My dad didn’t want me to be a farmer. My family traveled around for years, never staying in one place for too long. I always had this dream of owning a farm, taking care of animals and crops, and steady but hard work. I don’t know why my dad didn’t want me to do this, he says he has utmost respect for farmers and the work they do, in fact his brother is a farmer in Westown.” 

The knight nodded, signaling for her to continue her story. 

“We had a huge fight, and in the end, he let me come here to see what I can do. My uncle is supposed to make the final decision on whether or not I stay here as a farmer or go back to my parents. My dad even set up these things that he calls ‘trials’ to see if I actually have what it takes. I don’t know why he is so against it, though.” 

“It is possible that your father doesn’t want to see you disappointed if you can’t do the work, and doesn’t want you to suffer.” 

“I guess. I just don’t want to fight with him. It seems like we reconciled a little, but honestly, I still feel like any day now he’s going to show up and ship me back to their new home.” 

The other contestant grew silent for a moment as they walked, and Bri could see the grounds not far ahead now. The knight cleared his throat finally and held out a gloved hand. 

“Well, as someone who was in the profession for a good many years, I’d be happy to give you some criticism after the competition. And, I don’t believe I ever got your name?” 

“Bri,” she said, shaking his hand. 

“Bri, you may call me Mr. D, if you’d like. I look forward to talking with you afterwards.” 

With that, Mr. D walked away to one of the pens filled with cows, and Frank made his way over to her, with one of his sheep on a lead. 

“Howdy, Bri,” he greeted. “Who were ya talkin to?” 

“I’ve never met him before, he said his name was Mr. D?” 

“Weird, never heard of ‘im.” 

“Competing in the wool department?” 

“Yeah, this old girl has won quite a few ribbons, but I reckon she’s finally ready for the Legendary class.” 

The sheep bleated appreciatively. She really was a very old ewe, and had some gray about her eyes, but her wool was the softest Bri had ever seen. She realized that despite doing some part time jobs for Frank, she had never seen this sheep before, and suspected that he might keep her separated from the others due to her age. 

“Best of luck to ya, as always,” he shook her hand. “I know ye’ve got it in ya.” 

“Thanks Uncle Frank,” she smiled at him, petting Iris, who calmly watched the other humans and animals busily doing final preparations, and closed her eyes when Bri began giving her a final brushing, as they waited for the Veteran Class Milk competition to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're really getting into it, now! Thank you guys so much, it is just blowing my mind how many people have read this. If you've made it this far, I seriously appreciate you!


	22. Cow Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Animal Festival is under way

For the Animal festival, the contestants did not receive numbers like during the Harvest Festival. Once everyone in a single class and animal type had arrived, they were handed out a colored lead and harness, and had to walk to the corresponding X on the stage once their class was announced. Where there were many types of produce that could be entered in any Harvest festival, it was far less chaotic here. The types of animals allowed had to be able to do any of the following: produce milk, eggs, or wool. A llama could compete against a sheep simply due to the fact that they both produced wool, and often times the llama would be far more likely to win a festival than a sheep, unless either the llama’s owner didn’t do a very good job, or the sheep was very well cared for with a lot of time invested into the animal. Bri was always mesmerized by the variety of animals that she would be competing against, and as the Beginner class for eggs began, she listened to what the master of ceremonies had to say as he judged each bird. 

She knew that Bep could easily win an Expert class, but because she usually kept the eggs the chicken would lay for cooking rather than profit, she simply hadn’t needed to have her compete. Even then, Bep was far too excited around people, much unlike Iris. 

As they waited for their turn to enter, Bri buckled the green harness and lead to Iris, careful not to make it too tight. She happened to notice out of the corner of her eye that Mr. D was NOT in the Beginners class, and he even had a Jersey cow. She had been hoping to get a Jersey to add to the family, but wanted to wait until she could expand her Cronus farm some more so she could build another barn. To the untrained, the only difference between Iris and the Jersey were their coloration and size. Iris was a Holstein or a Friesian, typically much large in comparison to the Jersey, but this one could definitely give most other cows a run for their money. The two were too far away for Bri to get an accurate assessment on just how large the cow was, but curiosity picked and pecked at the back of her mind. 

The weather was perfect for a festival. Bri thought it was funny how every single festival day, they had gorgeous weather. She wondered if Dessie or her friend had anything to do with that, and thought that she should ask. Her mind wandered to the deity, and how she had left her in the ruins in Lulukoko. Dessie had said she wanted to be with Witchie while she slept, but Bri hadn’t seen the green haired girl since that day, nor had she seen the girl called Witchie for that matter. 

“Next up is the Veterans class for dairy! Thank you all very much for coming today to witness our contestants and their incredible livestock. First to the stage today is…” Stephanie’s voice trailed off as a man in his 40s walked up the ramp with what was, in all honesty, a pretty sad looking cow. She was a Holstein, like Iris, but she looked skinny and depressed. 

They were followed by a young woman and another Holstein, this one was mostly white with a few black splotches here and there, and Bri realized that there were only 3 of them. There were typically four contestants in each competition, so she wondered what on Earth was keeping the fourth person. That’s when she heard the sound of metal hitting the ground. 

“Our third contestant is Bri from Cronus Farm, and representing her is a Holstein cow named Iris. And holy cow seems appropriate folks, look at the size of this beautiful girl!” 

As Bri led Iris up the ramp, she heard the ‘oos’ and ‘ahhs’ from the crowd, and through her peripherals realized that compared to the other 2, Iris was enormous in comparison. It had been quite a while since Iris had compete, and she had certainly grown a substantial amount from the last time they were on stage. Bri gave her a scratch behind the ears, as Stephanie announced the final contestant. 

“And last, but certainly not least, we have Mr. D from Legend Farm, and representing him will be a Jersey cow named Cheddar. Now, without further ado, our judge Woofio.” 

Bri always thought Woofio was a bit odd. He was a man in a dog mascot suit, and he was always very friendly, but she wondered why he seemed to always be wearing the suit. Possibly because kids got a kick out of it, and made the Festival more entertaining for them. She had to admit, the Harvest Festival probably wasn’t the most fun for the kids. Woofio did his usual introduction, the pun about being ‘doggone happy to be here’ earned him a few groans from the adults in the audience, but a noticeable amount of laughter from the children. 

He began to make his way down the line, starting with the depressed cow first. She could hear him making “tsk” sounds, and assumed he felt the same way she did about the poor thing. She usually didn’t eat meat, except for fish, but she knew that most farms that produced milk would eventually be sent to be used for meat purposes when they became too old to produce milk. Though, she thought that perhaps the man simply saw her as part of his family and couldn’t bear the thought of her possibly being eaten. She could definitely understand that, she hated to think of what might become of Iris or Bep, but she knew she wouldn’t eat them, and certainly wouldn’t make any of the animals compete after a certain age. Frank’s sheep was well cared for and wasn’t a walking skeleton, it simply wasn’t the same. 

Next, Woofio turned to the second cow, and seemed far more impressed. Saying that the cow was doing a great job, and giving her a little pat, he seemed content with what the woman had to offer. The cow was a nice weight, and she seemed well cared for, and Bri thought she might have some stiff competition, especially knowing that Mr. D was the final contestant. Despite what seemed to be a good review, next was the milk quality. Woofio milked her, and seemed dissatisfied with not only the quality, but the process. The cow had been visibly uncomfortable, and he patted her down to calm her. 

“Not good, but not bad either,” he ended up saying before moving to Iris. 

“Hey, lady. I remember seeing you last year! Iris, you’ve had quite the growth spurt since I saw you last,” he said to the cow. 

Bri couldn’t help but have a huge smile as he did his inspection, tested the milk quality, all the while Iris stood perfectly still, staring out into the sea of faces in the crowd. She gave a quiet ‘moo’ when Woofio handed checked her eyes, ears, and nose to make sure all was well there, too. Bri wondered if he might be a veterinarian, but knew that because the judges traveled around for animal festivals in various parts of the world, he wouldn’t be able to just show up on the farm out of the blue, but she admired how gentle he was with each animal. Finally, he nodded, and moved on to the Jersey. 

Cheddar wasn’t even close to being the same size as Iris, but she was certainly large than the other Holsteins on the stage. Woofio seemed just as impressed from his assessment of this cow as he had with Iris, and Bri became worried. 

_Remember, it isn’t the end of the world if you lose. It’s okay to go at your own pace,_ her sisters words echoed through her head as Woofio finished his inspection. 

Unlike the Harvest Festival, the animal one didn’t take nearly as long to deliberate. Woofio immediately went to Stephanie to let her know that he knew who would be going home with a blue ribbon. 

“Alright folks,” Stephanie said into the microphone. “It looks like our judge already has come to a decision.” 

“I think we have a clear winner here,” he said. “At the end there I had a tough decision, but I think one thing is very clear, and that is that one of our contestants truly put a ton of love and effort into their cow. And the winner is… Bri from Cronus Farm, and her cow Iris!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update guys, some stuff came up. I can't believe we are 9 away from 800 people having clicked on this story. You guys blowing my mind right now! If you've made it this far, you are awesome, and I appreciate you!


	23. The Legendary Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will Frank do in the Legendary class at the Animal Festival?

Bri was scratching the little tuft of fur on top of Iris’ head when she heard the clanging of metal approaching her. Mr D seemed to be studying the cow, when he offered Bri his armor clad hand. 

“Well, congratulations are in order! This cow is certainly impressive! It is quite clear that you have worked hard to make it this far. And now, silver quality dairy products now?” he said. 

“Thank you, I appreciate that. Cheddar is an incredible cow, too. I was worried when I saw her, if I’m honest with you,” she returned the compliment. 

“So, what is next for Bri of Cronus Farm?” 

“Well, remember how I told you that my dad set up trials for me? One of them is to win a festival in the Expert level. I think that’s what I’m going to work towards next. You said that you could give me some pointers. I’m always willing to accept helpful criticism.” 

“Of course,” Mr D said as he put a hand on Iris’ back. “If I’m honest, you did a fantastic job up there, but the later competitions will have far more requirements if you want to bring home a blue ribbon. She is a great cow, but the judge will be looking for more of a personality. Calm personalities are excellent when it comes to farm work because they don’t get over excited, but you might want to invest in getting another cow. Not that there is anything wrong with this lady, but a variety is never a bad thing. Most farms have several cows of different breeds. You are going to run into more Jerseys as time goes on.” 

Bri was not thrilled with what he had to say. Iris had plenty of personality, and while it was true that she should get another cow, she was determined to see Iris make her way to the Legendary class. If that meant she would need to work a bit harder, then so be it. She didn’t want to be rude though, so she nodded her head and thanked him for his advice. 

“So, what’s next for you?” she asked. 

“Ah, well, this competition rekindled a passion I had long ago. I think I will go to the next big Animal competition and see if Cheddar and I can move on to the Expert levels as well. Perhaps next time you compete, we shall be rivals once more.” 

“There you are, Bri,” a familiar voice said. 

Behind them, Ford had made his way to the backstage area with Lynn at his side. 

“Come on, put Iris in the thing and let’s go watch Uncle Frank!” her sister called out. 

“Sorry, my uncle is competing in the Legendary class today, and I want to support him,” she told Mr. D. 

“Of course, I completely understand. Well, until we meet again, Bri. I hope to meet you at the next level.” 

With that, the armored man turned and walked away with cow in tow. When Ford and Lynn reached her, shook her sisters arm. 

“What is taking you so long?” 

“Alright, alright. Geeze,” Bri rolled her eyes and led Iris to a corral filled with fresh grass cuts and few other cows. Unless someone was staying to support a friend or family member, they typically would just leave. But, with how close the trio of towns were, they needed accommodations for anybody who did stick around. 

Lynn ran back out into the crowd, while Ford and Bri walked at a leisurely pace. After all, there was still the Expert class that had to compete before Frank was up. 

“I hope she isn’t giving you guys too much trouble?” she asked Ford, in reference to Lynn. 

“Of course not. Well, not me at least. But she seems to have taken to Noel and Colin.” 

“Uh oh, that could be trouble,” she smiled. 

“I haven’t overheard any plans of mischief quite yet. Although, if I’m honest, I wasn’t fully paying attention to the other attendees.” 

Bri felt her cheeks blush, surprised that Ford was bringing up his feelings in such a public place. 

“Oh?” 

“Yes. You see, there was this one cow that wouldn’t stop staring at me. I can’t imagine what it could possibly want with me, but it was unnerving. I was trying not to keep eye contact, but every time I thought it might have turned its head, it was still staring.” 

Bri couldn’t help herself, and laughed. Ford looked completely perplexed. 

“I’m so sorry,” she chuckled. “I thought you were talking about something else entirely. Oh Goddess, don’t worry Ford. If she was looking towards you, she could barely see you.” 

“What?” 

“Cows can’t see what it directly ahead of them. Their eyes are on the sides of their heads. She was looking at what was next to her.” 

Ford’s face flushed, and he muttered an “I see”. 

“Aw, don’t worry about it. I’m sorry for laughing, really,” she moved to put a hand on his shoulder, but stopped herself. 

_Don’t be too forward. Let him tell you when he is ready._ she heard a voice in her head. It sounded like Dessie but far older and Bri hadn’t even seen Dessie in a few days. Wherever the voice had come from, she knew it was right. Ford didn’t like contact, and it would be an invasion of space if she were to put a hand on him, even if she intended for it to be comforting. 

Ford had seemed to notice it, however, and gave her a slight grin. When she put her hand down, he did reach out to hold it, and gave it a gentle squeeze. 

“Thank you, Bri.” 

Once they were in the general festival grounds with the other attendees, they found Wayne, Lisette, Hector, Miranda, Marco, and the kids along with Lynn, and joined the group. The expert group had finished, and they were setting up for the Legendary class. 

“Where’s Carrie and Brad?” Bri asked. 

“They had to run home after you won, there was something at the restaurant that needed their attentions,” Marco told her. “Don’t worry, nothing serious. But you should really come by the restaurant later, Bri.” 

“Oh, sure, that sounds like fun. Is Megan competing today? I didn’t notice her in the back.” 

“Ma’s backs been hurting her,” Hector said quietly. “She’s at home with a heating blanket.” 

“She really should be eating more fish,” Ford told him. 

“Good luck with that, Doc.” 

The first of the Legendaries for the day was the Egg group. The four contestants all had incredibly impressive animals alongside them. Two of them had quails, one had a Silkie, and the final contestant had a Sussex (like Bep). Stephanie did her intro, and Woofio had his inspection. He seemed surprised at seeing the Sussex, and Bri wondered if this was what Mr. D had been referring to. The Sussex hen, Holstein cow, and Merino sheep were common, but many people seemed to consider them to be beginners as far as showing goes. 

One of the contestants with a quail had won, and they were bringing out the cows. Bri realized that they were all Jerseys with the exception of the final one. It wasn’t a livestock species at all, but a buffalo. She hadn’t realized that other farms might have them too. 

“And this is a real treat, folks,” Stephanie said. “It looks like our fourth contestant, Barry from Amani Farm is being represented by a buffalo named Kiazi. It isn’t often that we get a buffalo on this stage, but when we do, the competition is always an exciting one. And now, Woofio will begin judging!” 

“Many farms,” Ford whispered to Bri “seem to work alongside conservationists to help orphaned bovids. After we did the check up on your calf, I did some research on the subject.” 

The buffalo had won this competition, and Bri thought to the calf at home, who was turning more into a guard dog than anything else. Finally, the wool competition was beginning, and Frank took the stage. This time, Bri watched the contestants intently, studying how the animals behaved. Besides him and the old ewe, there was a grey Angora rabbit, a llama, and a brown alpaca. 

Woofio really took his time inspecting the wool quality of each animal, checking for softness, density, and how attached each animal was with the farmers, and he would present a treat and ask the animal a question to see how the animal would react. All of the animals did a great job, but the llama seemed disinterested in the judge, the alpaca kept fidgeting, the rabbit simply didn’t do much of anything, but the old Merino ewe lifted her head to meet Woofio, and she gave a soft bleat. She looked like she had this kind smile on her face, almost like that of your favorite grandmother. It was no surprise when Frank was announced as the winner. 

Frank knealt down and gave the sheep a squeeze, Bri thought she could see a tear in his eye. Miranda shouted a “Woohoo!” while the entire group from Westown cheered louder than anyone else in the crowd. 

It had been a long and exciting day for everybody, and Bri really wanted to take a nap when she got home. She hugged Frank and he, like Marco, insisted that she go down to the restaurant around 7 that evening. She said she’d think about it, and made her way to get Iris out of the corral where she seemed to have fallen asleep. 

“Hey, girl. You’re exhausted too, huh? Let’s head home. Come on, Lynn,” she called out. 

“Actually, sis,” Lynn said. “I was going to go with Noel and Colin. They want me to meet their friends and I said I’d go.” 

“Okay, but don’t get roped into any pranks, okay?” 

“Are you kidding? I’m the prank queen.” 

Bri shook her head and started to make her way to the trail, when she heard Ford next to her. 

“You didn’t forget our arrangement, did you?” he asked. 

“Of course not… what was our arrangement?” 

“That I would walk you and Iris back to the farm?” 

“Oh, yeah. I didn’t forget… sorry, I’m exhausted from today.” 

“The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get to the Garden Grill and you can relax.” 

“Why does everyone want me to go to the restaurant all of a sudden?” 

“I’m not supposed to say, just that I need to make sure you go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the two week hiatus. It was very hectic leading up to the holiday last Thursday here.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!


	24. Learning About the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the Animal Festival, Ford finally gets something off his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, just wanted to mention really quick that I've redone the first chapter of this story. If you want to take a gander at it, I haven't done anything to really change the story itself, but I thought it needed a little something more. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do.

The walk back to the farm was peaceful, and Ford’s presence made it even more so. Bri couldn’t explain how comfortable it was to simply be around him. She noticed that he was smiling more, and she really liked how his eyes and face brightened up when he did. 

“Ford, has anyone told you that you have a great smile?” she asked him when they reached the farm. 

“I can’t say that they have,” he responded. 

“Well… you do. I like it when you smile.” 

“I might have to do it more often, if that is the case. Bri, have you thought about what we talked about before?” 

“Of course, I have. Like I said, I understand where you are coming from here, and I agree that we should get to know each other better.” 

“Yes, and there are certain things I know I need to work on. One of which is being more open. I told you that my parents and I aren’t on good terms. I haven’t told anyone else, but I want you to know. I did study some psychology in my youth, and I know that it is never a good idea to let those wounds fester; however, I have for a good many years now. When you told me how you felt, after your mother left, what you described… that exhaustion, the pulling pain inside to say something but that odd embarrassment… Perhaps, if I finally tell someone, I can move forward. I think I need a moment, though…” 

Bri put Iris back into the barn, then went up to the house with the doctor, who seemed to be composing himself. She made them both some tea, and they sat at the table. 

“I’m not sure where I should begin, so I’ll tell you about my parents. My father was a cruel alcoholic, and he would often say terrible things to his wife. He never laid a hand on her, but his abusive nature was not lost on me. My mother was also an excessive drinker, and never paid any mind to what needed to be done. They both were adamant that I study to be a doctor, both before and after they separated. The courts decided I should live with her, but had they bothered to actually inspect the house, they might have chosen some other living arrangement. My mother was a hoarder. Everything collected from heirlooms to garbage, and when I wasn’t at school or studying, I was attempting to clean up after her. Sometimes my father would appear and the yelling and screaming would go on, as I hid in my room, studying. I didn’t become a doctor because of what they wanted, I became a doctor to ensure that I wouldn’t become like them.” 

Bri sipped her tea and watched Ford, whose voice did not waver during his recollection, but his hands seemed to be clutching onto the mug that he was holding. 

“One night, I woke due to coughing and feeling the most intense heat I’ve ever felt. I still don’t know what actually caused the fire, but with the excessive amount of trash that was in that house, I can only imagine it might have been electrical, and it was easy for the flames to spread. Due to the amount of study I had already been doing at the point, I knew how to get out of the house surrounded in flames; I knew to stay low to the ground, and sometimes I can still feel the burning in my lungs from the amount of smoke. I…” 

He grew quiet, as the memories flooded his mind, but after a deep breath, he continued in his monotone cadence. 

“I remember that I kept my text books in a pack that was always next to my bed, and of course looking back, I knew how stupid and reckless it was for me to worry about them. I was lucky that the extra moments I took to worry about them and the money to replace them didn’t cost me my life. I managed to get the door open, and had to crawl through the piles of garbage in that house to my mother’s room. She was awake, but she didn’t seem conscious. I couldn’t smell any alcohol on her, but I’m certain she had been drinking and may have not realized what was happening. I was able to coax her to climb out the window, and I quickly followed. She did suffer from second degree burns, and the first responders told me how lucky I was to walk away from the incident unharmed.” 

Ford looked up at Bri, and she understood. He wasn’t unscathed from the event at all. It had been traumatizing to live with people like that, and then to have one of their bad habits almost kill you. 

“And,” he continued “that is how my father received custody. He was just as messy as her, but after the fire, he improved. He even stopped drinking as much, but my mind was already set. His abuse was never directed at me, but towards her. As if he thought he was planting the seed for me to think he had saved me from a bad situation. I focused on my studies, and was able to take classes at a community college during High School, which kept me away from him, and her for that matter. That’s how I was able to join a graduate program so quickly. I began to look into making my own medicines that could keep me going so I could get into a university as soon as possible. I know that people say I’m a neat freak, that I’m strange, and yes, I know that Colin and some of the other children are afraid of me. The reason I am like this is because of what I just told you. Sometimes, Bri, I’ll need a push. I appreciated your consideration earlier today, and I trust you. I think I would even trust you with my life. That was why I felt I could finally tell someone about this, why I know I could trust you with this.” 

“Of course, Ford. I’m happy to be there for anything that you need.” 

Ford let out a sigh of relief, and drank the tea she had made him. He looked about the room, and back at her. She might not have had the same level of attention to detail that he did, but her house was never cluttered. While other townsfolk might not mind leaving a couple dishes in their sinks, Bri seemed to try to wash anything right away. He felt rather comfortable here, and he did feel better to have finally told someone about the trauma of his past. He had let the wound fester inside of him for far too long. 

“This has been weighing me down, and now that I’ve talked about it, I do feel lighter. Thank you for listening to me. I hope that this might help us. Next time, please don’t hesitate. I cannot improve if I don’t have help.” 

_He’s talking about back at the festival grounds,_ she realized, and she put a hand on his. He flinched slightly, but then relaxed, and exhaled slowly. It would take him some getting used to, but he seemed at peace. 

“Should we head to the restaurant then?” she asked. 

“Yes, I think that would be a good idea.” 

They finished their tea, and Bri cleaned the mugs and put them away, grabbed a jacket and they headed off towards the town. Then sun began to set, and it was a nice walk. Ford told her about his first week in Westown, how he had studied the plants and water, astounded by the incredible location. Not by appearance, of course, but how clean the water was, and how that helped the native plants. He asked her about what she did before she arrived at the farm, and seemed delighted that she always had a passion for flora and fauna, even joining an agricultural club in high school, but never doing anything hands on. 

It was already dark when they entered the restaurant, and Bri was surprised to see the entire town there. Carrie ran over to give her a hug, and congratulated her on winning the animal festival. 

“I just knew you and Frank could pull it off! Brad and I had to prepare for a big feast tonight. Of course yours and Frank’s meals are on the house. Come on over and sit!” she said. 

They had pushed all of the tables together into one large setting, and Carrie led her over to one of the empty seats next to Frank and Lynn. She then led Ford next to Wayne and Hector and ran off towards the kitchen. 

“See? I told ya that ye should've come down to the Grill!” Frank said. 

“You were right! This is so nice of them!” 

After the long day she had already had, Bri really had hoped to have a little nap, but honestly, she was happy with how the evening had turned out. She was happy to have learned more about Ford, and was glad that he felt he could be open with her like that. Now, with so many familiar faces around her, she really felt at home. Even Lynn was excitedly talking to Lisette about their new place, and Bri, although missing Daryl and Marlena, didn’t feel like she was out of place. It was a great feeling, and she made the most of it. 

Once everyone had cleared out, Bri gave Carrie one more hug and slipped the money for hers and Franks meals into her apron pocket to avoid Carrie from fussing about her offer, and took off with Lynn. 

“So, what did the doctor want?” Lynn asked. 

“He just wanted to make sure I got to the farm okay.” 

“Uh huh, and you’ve made that walk how many times?” 

“Shush, you.” 

“OOOH! Brianna has a cruuuuuush” Lynn jested. 

“I’ll have you know that this is old news. Isn’t that why you brought all these outfits?” 

“Speaking of, did he like it?” 

“Uh, I don’t know? He didn’t mention anything about it. What exactly did mom say about this?” 

“Hmm, that just means we’ll have to visit together and actually give you a makeover. Do you know what color he likes?” 

“Can you not be a pest, please?” 

“I don’t know, can I?” 

“I didn’t miss you, y’know,” Bri joked, and Lynn mocked her offense. 

“I can’t believe that you wouldn’t miss the best sister in the world.” 

“Oh, I would. I’m the best sister in the world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand, because I know I need to be better about posting on time and keeping the bank updated, I've decided to give little teasers as to what's to come in the next chapter! So, your teaser for chapter 25 is:
> 
> “We also wanted to try and grow our own flowers for the boxes too!” Noel told her. “Miss Megan let us grow out flowers here, and we wanted to use those!”
> 
>  
> 
> have a great weekend!


	25. New Challenges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri learns of some new festivals that she should prepare for.

Lynn had to leave after a week to return to school, but she promised to visit again when she had time off from school. She also insisted that she and Marlena would visit together so they could actually sort out this relationship business. Bri had rolled her eyes, and walked her little sister out to the carriage stop. 

Once again, Frank was there to see off his niece, but Hector, Colin, and Noel were there too. It seemed that the kids really liked Lynn, and they wanted to say goodbye to her. Hector must have been chaperoning the kids due to how early it was. All but Hector gave Lynn a big hug, though Hector did hand her an adorable looking package, tied up to look like bunny ears, the wrapping even had little rabbits all over it, and he said it was a plate of cookies for the road. Bri was surprised at this gesture, and wished she knew more about Hector. He seemed like a very nice man, but most people left him alone due to how quiet he was. 

“Hey Miss Bri,” Colin finally said after the carriage left. 

“What’s up?” she asked. 

“Do you want to have breakfast with us? Noel is coming over too!” 

Bri glanced up at Hector to make sure this was okay, and he gave her a silent nod. 

“I’d enjoy that, thank you for inviting me.” 

The boy giggled and then he and Noel ran off past the river, laughing as they went, leaving Bri and Colin’s father to walk behind them. Hector watched Colin, and Bri almost thought that he saw tears in the man’s eyes. 

“Mighty sorry,” Hector said, wiping his eyes. 

“Is everything okay?” she asked him. 

Hector nodded, and didn’t say anything else until they arrived at the large house where Megan, Hector, and Colin all lived. The large dog inside was incredibly friendly, and was a reminder to Bri that she should probably get a pet. Almost everyone in Westown had one, with a couple exceptions, but even Ford had that beagle that stayed in front of the clinic. She had even noticed two small bowls hiding under the steps of the clinic that were always full of some kind of dog food and fresh clean water. Hector announced their arrival with a gruff voice, and Megan turned around to smile and say good morning to Bri. 

“Your sister already leave?” she asked. 

“Yes, ma’am. She felt very welcome here,” Bri grinned. 

“Well, that’s excellent to hear! Good ol’ fashioned hospitality is always an excellent trait!” 

“What can I do to help, Megan?” 

“If you don’t mind, could you please make some toast? Breads in the cupboard above the toaster, no no, uh, yes, that one. Excellent. I’d say about 8 pieces, please, my dear. Son, why don’t you make sure the kids wash up? I won’t have any dirty hands at the table.” 

It was pretty lively in the town elders home, and everyone was bustling to prepare for the most important meal of the day. Megan was cooking eggs, scrambled for the kids, and sunny side up for the adults, along with potatoes, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, onion, and green bell peppers for a nice hash. Bri went around asking what everyone wanted to drink after the toast had been buttered and placed on the table with an assortment of jams, peanut butter, and one other jar that she didn’t quite recognize, but it smelled very strong. Everyone wanted orange juice, and the three adults decided to have coffee alongside. 

Bri enjoyed helping Megan in the kitchen, it wasn’t too unlike cooking with Marlena during the holidays when she was younger. Once they all sat down, they took a moment to thank Megan for the excellent meal, and started to eat. 

“Miss Bri, Colin and I were wondering,” Noel said. “and we had a lot of fun helping with the bee hives last summer.” 

“Can we do the bee hives again this year? And how early can we start?” Colin finished the question. 

“We also wanted to try and grow our own flowers for the boxes too!” Noel told her. “Miss Megan let us grow out flowers here, and we wanted to use those!” 

“If it’s okay with your parents, of course you can build beehives with me again, but don’t forget that you need to check on them every day,” she told them. The events that led to them making bee boxes had been a rather unfortunate one, but she was thrilled they had enjoyed it. 

“We will, Miss Bri!” Colin smiled. 

The rest of the breakfast was enjoyable, and after the meal, the kids went outside to play while Hector began to work with the livestock. As Bri helped Megan clean up inside, the village elder spoke in a hushed voice. 

“I am sorry again for what happened last year,” she said. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Megan. I’m glad they learned their lesson, and they have more respect for the insect world now,” Bri told her. 

“I was hoping to ask you a question. You know that bridge that we use to cross the river? What do you think about it?” 

“Um, I mean… it gets the job done?” 

Megan raised an eyebrow, as if she was quietly telling Bri to be honest. 

“It would be a good idea to fix it up. It does creak quite a bit. If you have to take livestock to the other side of town safely, you have to go through Tsuyukusa to do that. Most animals won’t go behind the waterfall.” 

“Exactly. The reason I ask, we decided long ago that for a big project to move forward that we had to make a majority decision. Most of us near the town agree that we need to repair the bridge, but others who don’t do much farm work think it is fine. They don’t realize that they need us if they want decently priced produce.” 

Bri could understand both sides. She never wanted one of her animals to fall through the bridge, and also wondered about when kids played there, too. Safety should always be an important concern, no matter what. However, to the other folks that lived near Westown who simply reaped the benefits of having so many farms nearby, spending money on a bridge might seem odd. They did not understand exactly where the food at the grocery stores came from, and Bri would be lying if she ever said that she had not understood that either when she was younger. 

“We have to hold a town meeting about it, and if I could get your support on this, I’m hoping we might be able to start the repairs soon,” Megan finished. 

“Of course,” Bri nodded. “Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.” 

“That’s wonderful to hear,” she smiled. “On top of that, I know you were busy last year, just starting off here as a farmer, but we’d love to have you at more festivals. I know you were able to go to the romance festival in Lulukoko- oh don’t you worry, dear. You are important to all of us, and we love having you join in any of our festivities. But, sometimes the three towns come together for a big competition. There’s a scavenger hunt and what we like to call the Beverage Bash. Depending on who is hosting the events, what you’d be doing will change. The Trilympics here in Westown is an egg hunt, in Tsuyukusa it is a daruma hunt, and Lulukoko is a fishing competition.” 

Bri raised her eyebrows. She wasn’t very good at fishing. She’d fish every now and again for food, but she definitely wasn’t skilled at it. 

“Then there’s the Beverage Bash. Each town specializes in a particular drink, and we bring ingredients to the festival grounds. You can pick who will join your team to make the best drink. Then we have a taste test amongst the competitors, then the judges, and the final vote takes place. The Trilympics is only twice a year, and it won’t be til July 20th, so you have plenty of time to prepare for that, but the Beverage Bash is May 16th.” 

Bri nodded her head again. They were nearing the second week of April already, so she’d have about a month to actually prepare for it. 

After helping Megan, Bri began her walk back to the farm to finish up her chores. The morning air in the crossroads was always delightful and refreshing. The day was going to be beautiful, and she wanted to enjoy her afternoon once she was done harvesting her crops. She was stopped as she reached the edge of Cronus Farm’s property line by a voice she recognized. 

“Oh, Bri!” Dessie called. 

“There you are!” Bri said a little too loudly, and she quickly looked around to make sure no one heard her. “Where’ve you been, Dessie? I haven’t seen you or your friend anywhere.” 

“I’m so sorry, Bri,” the green haired girl frowned. “Witchie was really tired. It took her a few days to wake up. Right now, she’s checking out the people in Lulukoko to see what has changed. B-but she wants to thank you for helping open the temple, she even said that she wanted to give you a gift.” 

“Wow, that’s uh… nice of her. But it really wasn’t any trouble.” 

“Anyway, I’m here because a little birdie told me that you’ve become _very_ close to someone?” 

“Is this really what everybody wants to talk about?” 

“We’re happy for you, that’s all. Are you going to give him a pendant?” 

“I… I really don’t know, Dessie.” 

“Aww, well, remember that everybody is rooting for you! I was also wondering… um, do you have any strawberries?” 

Bri sighed, and invited Dessie onto the farm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Your quote from next weeks chapter is:
> 
> “Or maybe,” Witchie smiled mischievously, “I’ll put a curse on your farm if I don’t like what you bring me.”


	26. Witchie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri finally meets the mischievous spirit.

Dessie practiced some magic as Bri harvested the crops that were ready, judging their quality, and choosing what should be sold and what should be kept. Anything that wasn’t pristine and likely fetch a high price in stores she would keep for her own kitchen, although upon starting out, she had to admit that she had sold anything possible just to keep the farm running. As Bri made her way to the barn, Dessie played with the animals, who like Bri, could actually see the deity. 

“I’ve heard Umekichi and Omiyo mention that the dogs on their farmland seem to play with invisible beings,” she mentioned. 

“That’s me!” Dessie smiled. “Oh we’ve heard humans call us all kinds of things. Faeries, ghosts, imaginary friends… that’s because usually only kids and animals can see us, and when they get old, they can’t see us anymore and their silly logic tells them that we must have been imaginary. Sometimes, a human comes along like you, but it’s very rare, especially in such a rural place like these towns. I’ll bet in a city, TONS of people could see us.” 

Bri thought that over, but she hadn’t had any “imaginary friends” or anything when she was younger, despite all the moving around. There was only a 6 year difference in age between Lynn and herself, so she couldn’t have been all that interesting to any supernatural creatures. Although, there was this one time… 

“Dessie, have you ever heard of a spirit or deity that almost looks like a little kid wearing pajamas with short green hair? Once, when Mom took me out to a petting farm, I could have sworn I saw someone like that going through the strawberries that were growing.” 

“You mean a Harvest Sprite? Of course, silly. Those are the Harvest Goddess’ assistants. Eventually, I’ll have my own sprites, but not for another thousand years, or if I perform some really amazing magic that can help crops. They go all over and help the farmers and ranchers that are loyal to her. It sounds like you saw one of the crop specialists. There’s animal helpers, crops, water, fishing,-” 

It always baffled Bri to hear Dessie talk about that kind of stuff, like living for thousands of years and mentioning so nonchalantly about what the deities did and how they performed the magic or miracles they were known for. There must have been an entire world of these beings that was invisible to most people. 

“And what about your friend? Witchie?” 

“Huh? What about her?” 

“Is she also related to the Harvest Goddess?” 

“Um… well no and yes? She’s part of the Witch Princess pant-tin or whatever you call it.” 

“You mean… pantheon?” 

“Yes, that one! Some people think that the Harvest Goddess and Witch Princess are opposites of each other, good and bad, light and dark. But the Witch Princess isn’t exactly evil or anything, she’s more like a spirit of mischief.” 

Bri couldn’t recall any mention of someone called the Witch Princess, but Dessie knew far more about these things. 

“Well, I’m done with my chores today. Did you want me to finally meet Witchie?” 

The girl’s face brightened and she jumped up and down clapping her hands with excitement. 

“Two good friends meeting each other for the first time?! I’m so excited, I can’t wait! Let’s go right now, Bri!” 

Dessie did a little twirl and disappeared before Bri’s eyes. 

_I think I’ll be taking the long way around_

Once she reached the beachside merchant stalls, Bri made sure to greet the residents as she made her way to the north end of the town, towards the ruins. Thankfully, everyone seemed too busy to want to have a long chat, so once she reached the stone door beyond the altar, Bri was quickly met with the face of the other deity. She had fuschia eyes and light wavy blond hair tied up into twin buns. 

“So this is the mortal who helped me wake up?” Witchie asked Dessie, who looked like a kid in a candy store, marveling at her two friends, excited to finally have them meet. 

“Uh-huh,” Dessie nodded. “This is Bri! She’s a farmer past the crossroads.” 

“A farmer, huh?” Witchie looked Bri up and down. “So, what, you grow food?” 

“Yeah, and I take care of animals.” 

“What are you growing right now?” Witchie demanded, pointing at Bri, which shocked her a bit. 

“Uh, strawberries, potatoes, um…” Bri suddenly couldn’t recall all of the crops on the farm, and felt embarrassed. 

“Peh, well, you can’t be the best farmer if you don’t even know what you are growing,” Witchie shook her head. “I tell you what, to thank you for helping to open the ruins, I’ll choose to help you with your farmwork. If you want something good to happen on the farm, bring me something cool. Like something with peaches, got it?” 

Bri simply nodded slowly. Witchie was completely different from Dessie, who was sweet, soft spoken, but in a way, they both were very child-like. Dessie needed some self assurance and hand holding, but Witchie was confident, forceful, and demanding. It certainly made sense why she was in the Witch Princesses pantheon, just from Dessie’s description of this spirit. 

“Sure, I can grow peaches. I like to think I’m a pretty good cook,” she told Witchie. 

“Or maybe,” Witchie smiled mischievously, “I’ll put a curse on your farm if I don’t like what you bring me.” 

Witchie laughed when Bri’s eyes widened, darting between her and Dessie who now seemed to be fretting. 

“Hehehe, you’re both such suckers. Like I’d actually do that. Don’t take it so personally,” Witchie finally said. 

“Witchie, you wouldn’t actually do that, would you?” Dessie asked 

“Geeze, you two are really killing my mood. Fine, I won’t put a curse on your farm. Unless you really mess up or something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, hope you all have a great weekend. There won't be a chapter next friday just because I'm working 6 days next week, so I'm going to be really tired. 
> 
> Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and happy new year guys!
> 
> edit: I'm dumb and wrote Moriya and Omiyo when I meant Umekichi and Omiyo. It is now fixed.


	27. Umekichi and Inari

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone new moves in

Bri still wasn’t certain what to make of Witchie, but Dessie had tried to assure her that she wouldn’t hurt her farm. Ultimately, she had decided that it was best to trust her friend and try not to think about it too hard. Since her chores were done, Bri decided to walk through Tsuyukusa to check up on things. She knew she had been spending quite some time in the other towns, and felt she really ought to visit far more often. The rushing sound of water from the river in the north part of the town was always pleasing, along with the wonderful scent of pine. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, enjoying every moment. The warmth of the sunshine truly made this a lovely day. As she walked towards the southern part of town, she noticed a young man in traditional blue clothing talking to Omiyo outside the tea shop. Bri had never seen him before, but he and the older woman seemed to know each other quite well, laughing as she hugged him, an enormous smile on her face. 

“Oh, hello Bri,” Umekichi greeted her as he exited the tea shop with a bag, which Bri assumed was full of dried tea leaves. Komari had finally convinced her father to start selling them. 

“Afternoon,” she nodded her head towards him in a small bow in greeting. “Who is that with Omiyo?” 

“Ahh, that’s our grandson, Yuzuki. He’s been away working, but he just got in about an hour ago. Come, come, we’d love for you to meet him! Ah, Yuzuki, I’ve brought some tea.” 

Yuzuki turned to his grandfather and smiled. He was rather pale, and his tourmaline hued hair was partially pulled back, with a few locks framing his angular face. His eyes reminded Bri of a honey or caramel brown color, and he had kind features. 

“Thank you, Grandfather. Who is this?” the young man asked. His voice was light and almost breathy. 

“Hello, my name is Bri,” she greeted with a low bow. “I own the farm out past the crossroads.” 

“Oh, I saw your farm when I arrived today! Your crops appear incredibly healthy, if I may compliment you on your skill, Bri. It’s nice seeing someone move in closer to my age.” 

Yuzuki smiled at her, and Bri could really see his grandparents in him. The older couple were lovely, and their grandson truly seemed to embody what made them both so charming. Omiyo was outgoing and had a heart of gold, while Umekichi was quiet and liked to keep his affairs private, but he was never unkind to those around him. If they weren’t tending to the farm, Omiyo would visit the market that Moriya owned, and Umekichi would be praying at a shrine near the road to Lulukoko. Bri had never bothered to ask why he spent so much time there, but he always looked somber when he prayed at the foot of the stone object. 

“Bri, would you like to join us at the house?” Omiyo asked. 

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Bri flushed, not wanting to interrupt the family reunion. 

“No intrusion at all, dear, Yuzuki has moved back in with us after being away working as an apprentice to a master jeweler.” 

“Really? That sounds amazing,” Bri turned to Yuzuki. 

“I’d love to tell you about it. Please join us for tea,” he smiled. 

Bri agreed, and while Omiyo and her grandson fell behind as they caught up on each other’s lives, Umekichi and Bri examined the crops around his farmland. Some crops had weeds growing around them, and Umekichi tsked away, shaking his head slowly. 

“Ah,” he sighed. “I think I might be getting a little too old to be taking care of crops on my own.” 

“I’m always happy to help,” Bri told him, but he shook his head again. 

“No, Bri, you have your own farm to run without taking on another one's tasks. Now that Yuzuki is home again, he would be able to help when he’s feeling up to it.” 

“Why wouldn’t he? He seems like he wouldn’t mind at all.” 

“Ah, yes, I forgot that you didn’t grow up here with the kids. Yuzuki was incredibly ill as a child. He’d spend days in bed, unable to move. Omiyo and I were always by his side, hoping for the best, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried that each night might be his last on this earth. What do you know of the spirits and deities? Do you believe in them?” 

“Well, I know about the Harvest Goddess. I’d be surprised if she didn’t exist, so I believe in her.” 

“Ah yes, the patroness of farmers. Here in Tsuyukusa, we have a guardian deity named Inari. Inari is said to appear as a small white fox, spending time amongst the fields. We believe that Inari looks out for us and guides us, even helping to protect the ill. I used to pray to Inari to grant my grandson health and strength. One day, when Yuzuki was about ten years of age, a small white fox had wandered into our home and curled up to sleep at his side. It was the strangest moment I had ever experienced.” 

“But aren’t white foxes common in the winter? I saw a bunch of them this past winter.” 

“Ah, but it was the middle of summer. During a terrible heat wave. None of the foxes in the area had any business bearing a winter coat.” 

Bri’s eyes widened. That truly must have been a sight to see, she had never heard of anything of the sort. 

“Omiyo and I had fallen asleep, when I heard a voice, that of a child’s. It wasn’t Yuzuki’s voice, however. I decided to check on him, and there he was sleeping next to that fox. I wouldn’t have believed it if had I not seen it for myself. I gasped, accidentally waking Yuzuki and the fox, but my grandson simply held out a hand to the creature. It let him pet it, but then it locked eyes with me and headed for the door. Yuzuki turned around, and told me that Inari had come to see him, and asked me to follow it. I was astonished, but I too wondered about where the fox had come from. I ran outside and there it was, waiting for me. Once it looked at me, it continued on towards the shrine, and it looked at me once again, then disappeared into the bushes. I’ve never seen anything like it since. Even the ones we get in the winter aren’t exactly the same. The next morning, Yuzuki was feeling better than he had in years. It was a miracle. He was still frail, but he took the opportunity to start building his strength. Ever since that day, I visit the shrine to thank Inari for helping give my grandson the opportunity to live a complete life.” 

Bri was stunned by this story, and now understood why Umekichi never seemed very far from his wife. In her old age, she was becoming frail, and after spending countless days at the bedside of a sick loved one, he feared her pushing herself over the edge. 

“You’ve done an incredible job raising your grandson, Umekichi. Don’t forget to take care of yourself too, okay?” she told him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew, got it in just under the wire! I hope you all had an amazing holiday and I hope your new year started off well. I am over the moon that we have hit over 1,060 hits on this story. I can't even begin to express what it means to have so many people interested in this story. Your kind comments bring a huge smile to my face, and I'm sorry if it takes me awhile to answer you, but I'll do my best to reply. You guys are awesome <3


	28. Apprenticeship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri learns more about Yuzuki

Once they all made it to the house, Bri offered to make the tea for everyone so Umekichi and Omiyo could enjoy their grandson’s company, to which they both seemed grateful. Their home was set up so that she wouldn’t be cut off in the kitchen as she set the water to boil, and she could listen to the family talk about Yuzuki’s time with the jewel master. 

“You should tell Bri about your craft, Yuzuki,” Omiyo smiled and set a hand on her grandsons. 

“Of course,” he replied, and turned to the young farmer. “I’m afraid I’m not very good at intensive physical labor, but I do have an eye for detail. I began making custom jewelry when I was still a kid for my grandmother as gifts, then making them for my friend, Komari, for her birthday. I then realized that I didn’t have to stop at jewelry, I could also try to make ornaments for festivals here, and even for Westown and Lulukoko. Komari, Hinata, and my grandparents convinced me to become an apprentice and learn from a professional, so I worked to make the best product I could, and I sent letters out to several well known jewelers, describing the piece and asking for an interview to perhaps be taken on as a student.” 

Bri was already impressed. The fact that he figured out what he wanted to do so early on, and that he was able to hone and perfect his craft since childhood meant that his skills must have been incredible. 

“I received a few letters back, many of them rejections, but one person in particular was interested in seeing the ornament I had made and wanted to meet. He paid for my trip out to the city, and that was my first time I was ever away from my grandparents. The jeweler was impressed that I had made something with so much detail at my age, but admitted to me that the design was rough around the edges, the placement wasn’t well thought out. He told me that there is always room for improvement, and he asked if I had the blueprints for the ornament,” Yuzuki laughed and a light pink blush brushed his cheeks. “I didn’t have a blueprint! I just made the piece with no direction, telling myself it was my best work! That was when he gave me the most important advice: always have a plan. When I had an idea, I needed to write it down, and when I had a moment, figure out the details. Once the plan was made and refined, assess the tools that will be required to make the idea come to life. Before ever touching the materials, I must create a blueprint and figure out what will be the best way to tackle the project.” 

Bri had placed the tea leaves into a steeper, and placed it into a kettle, and brought a tray down to the table with four cups, and the kettle in the middle. She settled herself on the far side of the table, across from Yuzuki, who thanked her for making the tea. 

“Farming is the same way, right Bri?” Umekichi asked her. “Before you grow anything, you must take a look at how much land you have to work with, and assess which tools you’ll need. You keep in mind how long each plant will take to grow, and how that might affect your income and if that might damage the farm. You make a plan, and after it has been refined, you till the soil, plant the seeds, water the crops, and prepare for harvest day by using the right type of fertilizer.” 

“Sounds like he gave you some good life advice,” Bri nodded. 

“He truly did,” Yuzuki smiled. “He decided to take me under his wing, saying I had potential and he wanted to see me succeed. It took about a week, but I moved into a flat not far from the workshop. It was an incredible experience. I still keep the original ornament I made for the interview just to see how far I’ve come.” 

Yuzuki reached into a pocket, and pulled out a metallic ball with a metal flower on one side, covered in small, colorful gems. It was quite beautiful, certainly far better than anything Bri could make, and she marveled at what he must be making now if this was considered an amateur piece. 

“It looks amazing to me,” she told him. “I really don’t have an eye for jewelry, so I can’t even imagine what projects you are planning now.” 

“Thank you,” he chuckled. “Perhaps I’ll make you something someday.” 

The rest of the afternoon was a peaceful one, but as the sun began to set, Bri excused herself, not wanting to overstay her welcome. She thanked the family for the tea, wished them all a lovely evening, then started out on the trail home. The farm dogs had fallen asleep in the afternoon sun, and were now awakened by the cool night air. They smelled the familiar farmer, and walked with her until she had left the city limits of Tsyukusa. 

When she reached Cronus Farm, she noticed that there was a box by her front door, and was puzzled. She had not ordered anything and wondered who it could have been from. First thing was first, she checked the mailbox to find a letter from home, and even a letter with no return address, but with her name and Westown’s post office written on it. Intrigued, she brought the package and letters inside, and immediately opened the mystery note. 

“To Briana Bauer, 

I hope this letter finds you in good health. In case you do not remember me, you and I were competing in the same class at the Animal Festival for Spring near the Tri Town area. I assured you that I would continue to work towards meeting you in the Expert class next time you compete. I would like for us to consider this a friendly rivalry, to see who can reach the top first. If you agree, I ask that you write me to the address below. Sincerely, Mr D.”


	29. The Start of Something Big

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri sees progress on her entry for the Beverage Bash

The rest of April passed with Bri and the other residents of the various towns working on improving the quality of their fruits for the Beverage Bash, and as the first of May finally dawned, the first fruits began to appear on Bri’s banana tree. They were rather small, and a dark green, so she hoped they would ripen before the day of the Festival. It was an unusually hot day for Spring, so it was taking her an excessive amount of time to finish her farm chores, but Bri managed to take care of Bep, Singer, Iris, and the buffalo calf before it was too hot. While Bri finished watering some seeds that she had just received in the mail that morning, her final chore of the day, she noticed a certain doctor approaching from the farm entrance. She waved at him and stood to walk over to him. 

“Hey, Ford,” she smiled at him. “Sorry, I’m a bit muddy, I was planting some new crops for this month. What brings you out here?” 

“I apologize for interrupting your work,” Ford blinked, trying not to insult her by scrunching up his nose at the amount of dirt on her. “Megan was telling me that you were planning on joining the beverage festival this year, correct?” 

“Yeah, my banana tree finally has fruit on it,” she nodded. 

“I wished to be certain that you understood precisely what the festival requires of you, and it is good to see that you have a good base.” 

“I’m not sure that I follow.” 

“You will be put onto a team of four, and you must make a fruit smoothie out of the ingredients that were brought, so you must be certain that you have fruit that will incorporate the other flavors accordingly.” 

“Oh, I see,” Bri frowned. 

_Was that really why he walked all the way out here?_

“Megan also wanted me to tell you that there will be a town meeting tomorrow about the repairs of the bridge. We all are hoping for your support on this issue. There have been varying injuries from people trying to jump over the middle of the bridge, and eventually, that weight is not going to hold. Since you spend quite some time with Ludus, Megan was hoping you might have some idea of how to build a new bridge.” 

“Oh, I suppose I could ask him for his opinion. I’m not really cut out for construction, Ford.” 

“Megan will appreciate that. There was one other topic of discussion that I wished to bring up.” 

“Oh, sure thing. What can I do for you?” 

“I have some new medicines that I need someone to test. I thought I would offer you the job personally.” 

Bri felt lightheaded all of a sudden as she thought back to winter and what happened last time she had taken on such a job. Ford seemed to have noticed that under the mud and dirt, she had gone pale. 

“Are you alright?” 

“Uh, yeah I’m fine.” 

“You can’t lie to a doctor, Bri. You need to sit down.” 

“It’s fine, um, yeah I can take that job, I just need to take a shower, and I’ll be okay.” 

Bri smiled at him to reassure him, but he did not look convinced. 

“Perhaps I should walk with you to the clinic, just in case.” 

“I mean…if you want to. But really, I think I’m alright.” 

As Bri took her shower, Ford stayed in the living room area, reading over a research paper, and highlighting different sections of the paragraphs, and writing notes in the margins. Bri wasn’t sure why she was panicking. Was it because of that Sanchez girl or was it because of how the last medicines made her feel? The girl had run off, and while some people saw her every now and again, she avoided the clinic like the plague. Maybe it was what Brad had said that day. 

_“I can't tell you how many women have suddenly appeared confessing their love to Ford.”_

Since then, Bri hadn’t actually noticed anybody else acting like that, but then again, Brad seemed perceptive in all the wrong ways and was guilty of being a bit of a gossip. He meant well, but sometimes he just happened to say the wrong thing. 

The more she thought about it, she started to become nauseous and dizzy and had to remind herself to hurry up since Ford was waiting for her. When she finished the shower, she felt ridiculously warm; her skin was a shade of pink, and of course, she felt like she needed to sit. 

“Is he always going to be right?” she asked herself. 

_For everything involving your health, yes._

As she put sunscreen on and put on a dress, which she had hung on the door before the shower, she took deep, yet quiet breaths. When she stepped out of the restroom, she saw Ford reading and marking up the papers he was holding. She walked over to him and sat across from him, which caused him to look up at her. Ford’s eyes narrowed as he saw how pink her skin was. 

“We need to get you to the clinic,” he told her. 

“Yeah, I know, I’m ready.” 

“I don’t mean for the job. You seem to be suffering from a heat-related illness, and I don’t think it wise for you to walk there.” 

“Ford, I…” 

“I’m not saying this as your b- as your friend, I’m saying it as your doctor. You are not walking to the clinic.” 

Bri sighed, and put her hands on her face. 

“It’s just a little sunburn, okay? I’ll put some aloe vera on, and I’ll be good as new. And I’m not your patient, Ford. I still haven’t gone to the physical, so you don’t have my medical records. Can we please leave now? I really don’t want to fight with you.” 

Ford closed his eyes and sighed. He knew there was no point in arguing with her, and he nodded his head, hoping she could at least make it to the clinic where he could give her something to help her. She put on a sun hat, and they headed out after he had put his papers away in his bag.

Bri managed to keep herself stable during the walk, but she felt winded, and her body couldn’t even produce sweat anymore. Ford kept his eye on her, but if he tried to tell her that she should sit in the shade real quick, she’d sigh in exasperation and he’d tell her “very well.” As they approached the river and the waterfall, Bri wished she could just jump into the crystal clear, and incredibly cool water. She hadn’t even realized that her legs had stopped moving, as her vision blurred and darkened, and her mouth had gone numb. She thought she’d hear someone call her name, but her ears were flooded with a buzzing sound. She didn’t even feel when she crumpled to the ground, or when her head hit the dirt with force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, you've been so patient, and I really appreciate it. It has been a crazy few weeks for me, starting school again and finishing some training at work. One of my classes requires a ton of writing, so please forgive me if I get burnt out on typing. Though, this story should be breath of fresh air after all the essays I need to do. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy.


	30. An Uncomfortable Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the fall

It had all happened in real time for Ford, but because he had been watching her closely, he had managed to reach her in time to stop her head from hitting the ground. She was not convulsing, which helped Ford make a diagnosis. He had already assumed she was overheating, but this was confirming his suspicions. Ford awkwardly tried to lift her off the ground, which he found a bit difficult at first, simply due to the fact he rarely needed to lift a full grown human being, but once he found his footing, he was able to carry Bri the rest of the way. He was grateful Frank did not seem to be around; he was not interested in giving an explanation of what had happened. Once Ford reached White Capsule, he gently placed Bri onto one of the more comfortable cots behind a privacy divider. He placed the pillow under her head, and quickly gathered supplies from various cabinets and containers. 

He made certain that a fan was blowing cool air over her as he soaked light clean rags in cool water with ice, then placed them over her arms and legs to bring her temperature down. By the time she had opened her eyes, Ford had been able to cool her off and administer electrolytes and fluids through an I.V. Bri looked down at her arm where the needle was taped down and groaned. 

“Ah, you’ve awoken.” 

Ford’s voice was sterner than usual, and Bri did not want to meet his gaze. She suddenly felt like a child who had done something wrong, and the feeling left a sour taste in her mouth. 

“As I thought, you were suffering from heat stroke. What were you thinking, Bri? What would happen to your crops and animals if you suddenly disappeared on them, too sick to even move?” 

Bri took a deep breath, and whispered a soft apology for having not listened to him in the first place. 

“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to. It’s my duty here to take care you and every other person who lives here. Your rash decision does not only impact you.” 

“You’re right, doctor.” 

Ford stayed quiet. The way she had said “doctor” almost seemed like poison in his ears. This was the first time she had been treated by a medical professional since moving to the area, and he considered that some people did not enjoy being in a medical bed. He thought about advice Wayne and Brad had given him over the years. Closing his eyes, Ford could almost hear Wayne saying “put yourself in their shoes” and Brad’s “couldn’t you try to be a little bit normal?”. When he opened his eyes again he could see defeat on her face, so he rolled his chair closer to her and held one of her hands. 

_Is it because of our…relationship?_

“I’m sorry, Bri. I hate seeing you like this. And scolding you will not change what happened. I’m asking for you to please trust my judgment on these matters.” 

She finally made eye contact. Somewhere beyond that stoic look, she could see the worry in his eyes. She nodded with a shuddering breath and lightly squeezed his hand. This, at least, made him feel less out of place. 

“Get some rest, Bri. I’ll be here.” 

Ford sat back in his chair and sighed. Now that Bri had received first aid treatment and was cooling off, he decided to try and enjoy a moment that would not consist of him running around. 

“You probably have to make a chart, right?” Bri asked. 

Ford looked up. 

“Yes, I suppose I shall.” 

“Anything I should tell you?” 

“If it won’t bother you, yes, that would be helpful.” 

Ford easily found a binder of new patient sheets, and began to ask for information about her age, height, weight, the general information. He needed to know some family history, which Bri knew a decent amount of, enough for him to know that there was not any danger of hereditary diseases that he might need to treat in the future. She seemed to warm up to giving the information, until about an hour and a half had passed. 

“Bri, I’d like for you to stay here tonight,” he said. 

Bri smiled and gave a chuckle. 

“I-in the clinic, I mean,” Ford coughed, and he felt his face redden. “I’m not sure I want you walking home by yourself. I’ll reassess your temperature in the morning and if you are feeling well enough, you may leave then.” 

“Thank you, Ford.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry it has taken forever to get a chapter out and that is so short. Most of my attention is on school right now, so the chapters are going to be sparse until summer. The writer's block hit me hard, but I'll hopefully have something longer for the next one. Thank you so much for your patience!


	31. Town Meeting

The night Bri had spent in the clinic had been peaceful once she and Ford were able to have a normal conversation again. After finishing her patient file, Ford suggested that she have some dinner. He cooked up a soup of vegetable broth, full of colorful veggies, alongside some type of bread that had nuts in it for added protein. It tasted awful. But, Bri ate with a smile; she knew how the doctor was about nutrition. Food was not for taste, it was for nutrients that your body required in order to function properly. She could tell that he had put in the effort to keep her energized, full, and not to reverse his work to hydrate her. While she really wanted some salt, she did not think that it would be a good idea to ask for it, as she was not interested in another lecture. The meal was accompanied by water and electrolyte powders of his invention in order to revitalize her. After their dinner, Ford let her know that there was a button on the desk, within arm’s reach, and should she need anything during the night, to simply press it, and he would be paged. She nodded and wished him a good night, which was returned with a nod. 

The next morning, Ford checked Bri’s vitals again, and while they were better, he insisted that she take it easy. 

“I have to go home and change,” Bri told him as she ate a breakfast of bland scrambled eggs mixed with some tomatoes and ham with cottage cheese, toast, and orange juice on the side. She had asked if he was going to have any, but he responded that he had eaten earlier that morning before he got dressed. “The meeting about the bridge is today.” 

“Can Lisette bring you an extra set of clothes? You can use the top floor here, and I’ll accompany you to the town square.” 

“I wouldn’t want her to go out of her way…” 

“I’m not comfortable going through your clothing, Bri.” 

She agreed, and Ford called Lisette to ask if she could possibly bring Bri something to wear, as she had been in the clinic during the night. Lisette had rushed over as soon as she could, and followed Bri upstairs. 

“Are you alright?” she asked anxiously. 

“Yeah, I just worked a little too hard yesterday.” 

“Some of us saw Ford carrying you into the clinic yesterday, we were so worried!” 

“Oh?” Bri felt her face go red. “I’m okay, really.” 

“We didn’t want to crowd the clinic, Ford would have chased us all off, but…” Lisette paused. “…well, y’know how folks talk. It’s no real secret that you two fancy each other.” 

“I thought the only people who knew were you and Wayne,” Bri told her suspiciously. 

“Oh, Bri, people ‘round here are always suspicious, and misinterpret things all the time. Remember when you thought Frank had a girlfriend? We all mean well, but when the town doctor suddenly has this new spring in his step, and a tiny change in demeanor…well, you know people are going to start putting two and two together when they see that he is spending a lot of extra time with somebody.” 

“I guess that makes sense. I’m still not used to living in such a small town. I guess I can understand why you and Wayne didn’t want the whole world to know that you two had become a couple.” 

“We knew people were talking, but they were respectful about it and congratulated us when we started to show the pendants. We’re all gossips, but we don’t want to make anybody feel uncomfortable.” 

Bri sighed and nodded. She thanked Lisette for bringing over some clothes then took a shower and started getting ready. She felt silly when she went to brush her teeth, just to remember her toothbrush and paste were at home, but when she went into the bedroom, there was a packaged brush and paste sitting on the bed next to the clothes waiting for her, along with a small paper cup, which she assumed was for mouthwash. After brushing her hair and her teeth, and putting on some sunscreen, she got dressed, and headed downstairs. Before leaving the clinic, Ford handed her the sun hat she had been wearing the day before, and they headed out. 

“If you need to lean on me, let me know,” he told her as they headed for the town square. There were a few benches surrounding the buffalo statue, so Ford made sure she could sit down and then stood behind her as they waited for the meeting to start. Once everybody had arrived, Megan called for everyone to settle down so they could discuss the bridge. 

“As you all know,” Megan began, “ the bridge in the south is simply no longer safe to cross. Westown has been suffering for years now due to lack of funds and trade with other parts of the country. But lately, our economy has been improving, thanks to our farmers for going above and beyond to grow and sell more exotic products. Our safety is a top priority, and that bridge needs to be replaced.” 

“Here, here!” Frank bellowed. 

While some of the shop keepers and parents nodded their heads in agreement, many of the folks who didn’t spend as much time that close to the river seemed to look confused and even uninterested. 

“If the farmers need that bridge so badly, why don’t they pay to fix it?” one of them asked. 

“Peter, you know very well that if your son got a splinter from that bridge, you’d be ready to tear the thing down!” Miranda returned. 

Townsfolk began talking over each other in disagreement until Hector stood beside his mother, crossed his arms, and stared intently at them. 

“Beggin’ your pardon, but the mayor is not done speaking,” he said in that low baritone. 

He hadn’t yelled, but his voice frightened a few people, and everybody settled down. 

“I’ve asked Frank Hall and Doctor Ford and to speak for a time about some injuries folks have sustained because of the bridge. Mr. Hall, Doctor: you have the floor,” Megan said, and she stepped down to sit with Bri on the bench as Ford and Frank stood by the statue and addressed the crowd. 

“Thank you, Megan,” Ford began. “There have been various injuries caused by individuals trying to cross the bridge without simply walking across. Some of the most recent occurred within the past two weeks. Merchants have attempted to used the path behind the waterfall, simply to trap their wagons, and throw out their backs. These merchants cannot afford to take the weeks of recuperation required after a spinal injury, and neither can we.” 

“Our farmers mainly sell to the merchants who sell the produce to other parts of the country,” Frank continued. “If they can’t use the bridge to bring in the goods those other cities and towns provide us with, we’d be pretty strapped for cash.” 

“In addition, many of our own residents have suffered injuries as well. A few have twisted ankles while attempting to jump across the middle of the bridge, which has caused more structural damage. Others have been attempting to simply cross the river, which disturbs the ecosystem we have here. Many of you are fishermen who used that river to sell to the very merchants discussed earlier. By simply crossing the water, chemicals from skin products and dyes from clothing are infecting some of the fish species, which you are then eating and selling. This must not continue.” 

The rest of the meeting was fairly boring, but eventually when it came to a vote, the majority agreed that the bridge needed to be replaced, but that they wanted cost to be as low as possible. Megan nodded her head and asked if anybody was able to think of a way to do this, and Bri raised her hand. 

“I’ve been regrowing plenty of trees on my property. If you give me a list of the materials we need, I should be able to supply a decent amount. It can be done a lot faster if anyone wants to pick up an axe and help,” she said. 

“A generous a fair offer,” Megan told her. “Well, who’s willing to help chop down some trees?” 

Hector, Frank, and Wayne volunteered, but nobody else. She understood why Ford, Marco, and Brad wouldn’t volunteer. Brad and Ford simply didn’t have the strength to chop down a bunch of trees, and Marco of course had an exemption due to age. But there were plenty of young, able bodied individuals who simply weren’t interested in doing manual labor. 

“Well, this is a sad day,” Megan frowned at the congregation. 

“That’s alright, Megan. The four of us should be more than enough,” Bri told her. 

“Some of us can help in other ways,” Ford spoke up. “I can supervise to be certain no one is injured.” 

“And,” Carrie added, “Brad and I can make sure you all eat properly throughout the day so you stay energized. Bri will be busy working, so she won’t have time to make anything.” 

Brad nodded, “Absolutely.” 

“Fantastic,” Megan agreed. “Then that is settled. You all can decide when you want to start working on supplying the materials amongst yourselves. Once you have everything, let me know so we can plan a day to fix the bridge.” 

After the meeting, Megan handed Bri a piece of paper with the material list, specifications, and measurements to prepare. Bri shared it with Hector, Frank, and Wayne and they discussed where and how they should gather items such as stone. 

“I don’t think we’ll be able to start ‘til after the Goddess Festival,” Wayne commented. 

“Lots of preparation,” Hector grunted. 

“We shouldn’t wait too long, though,” Bri told them. “After the Festival, but before the Beverage Bash.”


	32. Festival Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bri and the Westowners prepare for the Goddess Festival.

A few days after the meeting, Bri stood outside Miranda’s store holding a list of item she needed to pick up in preparation for the Goddess Festival in a couple days. After recounting all of the tasks and items, she opened the door to find that the shop keeper was with a customer. 

“Morning, Miranda,” Bri greeted her. “Morning, Ford.” 

“Good morning,” the doctor nodded. 

“Oh, mornin’ Bri! I’ll be right with you, dear!” Miranda called out. “Anyway, Doctor, I just need to grab them from upstairs and you’ll be all set!” 

Miranda scurried off, leaving Ford and Bri alone. 

“Are you off today?” she asked. 

“No, my patients don’t have their appointments until later,” he told her as he adjusted his glasses. 

He took a quick glance around the room. 

“Were you going to be helping to prepare for the goddess festival, Bri?” 

“Yeah, I was going to see if I could help with decorations or something. ” 

“I… have to admit that I’m embarrassed to ask you this.” 

“What’s up?” 

Ford sighed. 

“Megan randomly chooses someone in town to ask for donations that go towards putting together the festival,” he told her. 

“And that’s you this year?” 

“Quite right,” he adjusted his glasses, prompting Bri to chuckle. 

“It’s okay, Ford. If this is the best way to help out, I’m happy to do it.” 

“Sorry about that, you two!” Miranda called down as she made her way down the stairs with a small box. 

She scanned the box and placed it in a small bag before turning to Ford. 

“So, you wanna tell me what you need ‘em for?” Miranda asked. 

“It’s for an experiment,” Ford told her. “I’m curious about what properties and elements could be hiding within the stones.” 

“So…no other reason?” 

Ford blinked. “What are you suggesting?” 

“Nothing, nothing” Miranda sighed as she put the item into a little bag for Ford. “Just seems a tad bit strange that you’ve known about them for awhile and just barely decided to look into those ‘hidden properties’.” 

“A research article was very recently published about them and I wish to recreate the experiment.” 

“And… that’s why you need two of them?” 

“I have to plan for errors.” 

“Alrighty then, if you say so.” 

“Good day, Miranda. Bri,” Ford nodded to both of them as he exited the store. 

“Sorry about that dearie,” Miranda told her. “Doctor Ford’s an odd one, but I’m sure you can set him right.” 

“O-oh?” Bri blushed. 

“Woops, I went and opened my big mouth again,” Miranda chuckled. “Don’t mind me, what can I help you with today?” 

“I was hoping to pick up my order for a dress to wear at the Goddess Festival.” 

“Ah, yes of course!” 

Miranda pulled a binder out from under her desk and flipped through the different clothing designs. After a few flips she landed on a design for a green dress with a tawny bodice and white embroidery. Next to it were several columns where she had written various order numbers, and when they were completed. 

“Aha, there it is. Anything else?” 

“Nope, that’s it,” Bri pulled her purse out of her backpack and placed the payment on the counter. “Actually… do you have any suggestions for accessories?” 

“I have some cognac boots for sale that would look wonderful with the dress. Size 8, right?” 

“You really have a knack for remembering your customers,” Bri smiled. 

“All part of great customer service, m’dear!” Miranda opened a door that led under her stairs that she kept as a storage area for different items, and effortlessly grabbed a shoebox and brought them to the counter. She opened the box to show them to Bri. They just went over the ankles and reminded Bri of brown ice skates without the blades. They had just a hint of heel, so they would be easy to walk in. 

“They look great, and perfect for the dress, too!” Bri told her. “May I try them on?” 

Miranda pulled a chair over and Bri slipped on the boots, laced them up, and walked around. They felt great, and had some good grip on the soles. 

“I’ll take ‘em!” Bri exclaimed. “You always know the perfect thing to bring an outfit together.” 

“Oh, don’t go giving me all these compliments. I’m glad they’ll work! They’ll also be perfect for dancing.” 

“Um… dancing?” 

“Didn’t anybody tell you? There’s a dance at each deity festival. You can dance with anybody, but some people dance with their significant others. I was wondering if…” Miranda’s voice trailed off. “Oh, never mind.” 

“If I’m going to ask Ford?” 

“Uh…well… I shouldn’t have said anything, dearie.” 

“It’s okay, Miranda. Lisette told me it isn’t much of a secret.” 

_Except to me and Ford, that is._

“And since people dance as friends, he might not object if you ask him,” Miranda sighed in relief. “I admit… I might do the same.” 

“Miranda…” Bri voiced her concern. The only people in Westown who didn’t know about Miranda’s feelings towards Frank were Ford (not that this wasn’t surprising) and Frank himself. Miranda had mentioned at times that she was afraid of being alone once Noel was older. “Maybe… maybe if you told him.” 

“Oh, I just don’t know. Frank and I have great chemistry, and he’s always been so kind. I’d hate to ruin what we have.” 

_I know the feeling…_

“Perhaps I will someday,” Miranda went on. “Just not right now. I’d want the occasion to be special. After Noel’s fath-“ 

The front door opened and the room was suddenly filled with laughter as Noel and Collin ran in, cutting Miranda off. Her face immediately lit up as she welcomed the kids and let them know she’d make lunch soon, but to wash up first. The kids said hello to Bri and reminded her that they were taking good care of their flowers so they could make bee boxes, before scurrying upstairs. 

“Sorry, I’m taking up so much of your time,” Bri told her. “I’ll take the boots, though.” 

After changing back into her normal shoes, Miranda let her know the items would be sent to her house later that evening, and to remember to steam the dress, not put it in a dryer. She paid, and made her way to the clinic to drop off a donation for the Festival preparations. Ford still seemed embarrassed, but thanked her for her contribution and reminded her to be careful on her way home. Next thing she had to do was go to Tsuyukusa to see the hair dresser, Sharaku. She showed the Sharaku a picture of the dress and asked her what would be the best cut and color to go with it. The hair dresser cut offenough hair that it now only reached Bri’s shoulders, and showed her how to do some lose ringlets from home. She then began a dying process for a medium brunette color with some highlights. Bri had brought a sunhat with her, not wanting anyone to see the hair before the Festival itself. She felt a little silly being excited for the Festival, but she knew Dessie would be happy about her attending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much, everyone, for the kind comments and kudos. Once school is out for the summer, I'll hopefully have more time to write more chapters. <3


	33. Goddess Festival Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Goddess Festival Part One

https://78.media.tumblr.com/ade95479c46711ce96e6b10a9512239f/tumblr_p9pyvzJAT41wf4yywo1_540.jpg

The morning of the festival was a busy one for Bri. She didn’t want to do her work late into the evening, so that meant she needed plenty of rest in order to wake up early and take care of the farm. The last time she had woken up this early was the day she made the coffee and fruit tart for Ford in the winter. There were only a couple weeks of Spring left now, the Beverage Bash was a week away, and in a couple days, Hector, Wayne, Frank, Brad, Carrie, and Ford would be assisting in the process to get materials for the bridge project. Bri wasn’t used to having so many people on her farm, and she felt a little nervous about it.

The night before, she had washed and then put curlers in her hair and let them stay in while she slept. After waking up, Bri went outside and started with the animals; collecting, brushing, feeding, petting, pampering, so on and so forth. The animals had all grown substantially this spring, especially the buffalo calf, who had already put on a hundred pounds that month. After finishing with them, she moved onto her crops, harvesting, weeding, and watering before the sun could get too high. After finishing her chores, she took a long relaxing shower and decided to treat herself a little more, and put a cucumber gel mask on her face, something she had been experimenting with. Some crops weren’t fit to sell and people would quickly get tired of being gifted produce, so she had started finding ways to make gels and jellies from them for skincare.

While letting the gel soak on her face, she set to making herself some breakfast of sunny side eggs, toast, orange juice, a banana, and peanut butter. It made for easy clean up, and after finishing, she brushed her teeth and set her alarm to go off at 8:30. The Festival grounds did not open up until 10:00 a.m., so she sat with a book that Yuzuki had recommended until it was time to get ready, all with the curlers in place.

Bri washed her face then put on some moisturizer and sunscreen before putting on her cognac boots, then her dress, and finally styling her hair. She carefully unwrapped each curler and as her hair bounced from its new found shape, she styled it so that the curls would drape her shoulders. She made sure to pack some more sunscreen in a small purse that fit perfectly into one of the two pockets within the skirt of the dress itself. It was supposed to be bright and sunny during the Festival and she had promised Ford that she would take better care of her skin to avoid sunburns and skin cancer.

At 9:40, it was time to head over to the Crossroads so she could meet up with Megan before going to the Festival grounds. As she reached the edge of Cronus Farm, she could see Ford waiting for her. He wasn’t wearing his lab coat since he wouldn’t have any patients on a Festival day, and Bri couldn’t help but think how handsome he looked without it. When he caught her eye, Ford smiled at her and she remembered when she had told him that she liked his smile. He had said at the time that he would smile more often because of this, and she had to admit that she was pleased that she had confessed it. Something about his smile made those purple irises light up, and it was rare to see joy on his face, though it absolutely suited him.

“Morning, Ford,” she greeted.

“Good morning, Bri. I see you changed your hair?”

“Oh, yeah,” she blushed. “It was getting long, and I thought this might be nice for the summer months.”

_I was also really hoping that you would like it._

“It’s…” Ford stumbled, trying to think of the right word. “lovely. Not that you weren’t lovely before, you were always beau- it’s nice, very nice. Excellent decision.”

Ford covered his mouth with a gloved fist and cleared his throat.

“Sorry, about that. Are you ready to go to the Festival?” he asked.

“I’m ready if you are,” she smiled.

Megan nodded to them both and waved them through to the grounds.

“You weren’t at the Goddess Festival last year, correct?” Ford asked her on the trail.

“No, there was just so much I had to do that Spring. I was so afraid my dad would just show up and take me away at any moment, so I didn’t want to participate in any of the festivals or gatherings.”

“Marlena seemed like the kind of woman that would not have let him do that. She and Lynn support you.”

“Yeah, I know. I just wish I understood why my dad was so upset. Frank is a successful farmer, and my dad even said he holds farmers in high regard.”

“Perhaps he’ll tell you one day. I’m afraid I am not an expert on these things. Relationships of all kinds seem fragile during moments of misunderstandings and confusion. That’s part of the reason I’ve avoided them for so long. You, Wayne, and Brad are a novelty to me. The first friends I’ve ever had. Just when I think I know all there is about these types of relationships, a new obstacle appears.”

“Mom says that communication is the key to making a relationship work. Talking to each other is the only way to avoid those obstacles, Ford.”

“You might be right.”

The rest of the walk was uneventful, as they simply talked about different plants growing along the pathway. Many of them could be used in medicines, according to Ford, while Bri admired their looks and how they helped the wild animals stay fed and safe. Once they made it to the grounds, it was already bustling. The usual suspects were all there- Noel and Colin were playing under the watchful gaze of Hector and Miranda, Frank was talking to Brad and Carrie, and Wayne and Lisette were with some other townspeople that Bri recognized from the town meeting. Marco didn’t appear to be there yet, and Bri suspected he might be waiting to walk with Megan.

“Oh, Bri!” Lisette waved at them.

“Hey,” Bri answered as they walked over to the couple.

Lisette was wearing a sky blue dress, similar to her typical outfits, but with a white shawl over her shoulders and some white flower pins in her hair, while Wayne had decided to wear his typical garb.

“I love you hair! Where did you have it done?”

“The shop in Tsuyukusa.”

“The dark brown looks great on you! And the length frames your face perfectly! I might have to give her a visit! Your dress is so pretty too!”

“Thanks, Miranda did a great job with it.”

“So, Bri,” Wayne cut in. “You plannin’ on dancin’?”

“I, uh, I’m not much of a dancer,” she blushed.

“Ah, even Ford dances at these things,” he told her.

“Yes, well,” Ford cleared his throat. “It’s important to participate.”

“I really don’t know the dance, I’m not sure if it would be a good idea.”

“Oh, it’s really easy,” Lisette told her. “There just some twirls, a little back and forth steps, we can show you!”

“O-oh,” Bri could feel her cheeks getting redder. “Maybe I’ll just watch this year and dance next year.”

“Well, there’s three different dance times, so you can watch the first two groups and then join in the last one,” Wayne said, and Bri could have sworn he’d given a wink to Ford, but was uncertain if Ford had picked up on it.

“Maybe…”

“Bri, I think Frank might need some assistance with the food,” Ford told her.

“Oh, well I should go see if I can help with that. See you two around.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I finished my finals last week (WOOHOO) and finally had time to work on ToTT! I know a lot of you are also in school, so if you already finished up, congrats! I hope you enjoy a nice break! If you still have a couple more weeks, hang in there! You've got this! It'll be a few more weeks until part two is ready, but I hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> I am so sorry about my awful drawing of Bri in her Festival dress, but hopefully with more practice I can actually try for the Story of Seasons style so you can have Bri and Ford together. :) <3 You are all amazing, thank you so much for your patience during these past months, I truly appreciate it, and every single one of you!


	34. The Goddess Festival Part 2

“Thought of who you’re gonna dance with?” Frank asked.

“I’m not really a dancer, Uncle Frank,” Bri told him.

“Are ya sure that’s why ya don’t wanna dance?”

“I know who I’d ask, but… what if that person doesn’t want to? Or what if they get the wrong idea?”

“It’s all for fun here, y’know, Bri. And the moves are actually pretty easy, even I join in sometimes.”

“Could we dance? I’d feel more comfortable with you than asking someone else.”

Frank rubbed the back of his neck with a slight frown.

“Sorry, Bri, I already told Noel I’d dance with her.”

“Oh…”

“Hey, whaddya say we start serving the pizzas?”

“Sounds good to me,” Bri smiled.

The pizzas smelled incredible and she hadn’t realized how hungry she was. After helping serve the pizzas, Bri wandered back over to Ford who was inspecting the pizza.

“Every year,” she heard Wayne behind her, “ya look at it like it’s gonna bite ya.”

“Don’t,” Ford sighed.

“Don’t what?”

“You know very well ‘what’, Wayne. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

“Is this about when I told ya pizza is healthy?”

Ford frowned at him.

“Wait, what happened?” Bri asked.

“Oh, last year I convinced him that if all the ingredients to make pizza were healthy on their own, they’d be super healthy together.”

“Don’t feel bad, Ford. It sounds like it would make sense,” she told him. “Besides, some pizzas are healthier than others. Uncle Frank’s has vegetables on it so it would be better than just eating it with cheese.”

The pizza was delicious. Of course, the produce that went into the creation of the meal came from Frank’s farm and he was one of the best farmers around. Not only was he an amazing farmer, but he was also a great cook. Brad was trying to get Frank to come help at the restaurant to make pizzas every now and again, but Frank insisted that if folks could eat it more often, it wouldn’t be as special.

The second dance consisted of Frank with Noel, Wayne with Lisette, and Carrie with Marco. The dance didn’t appear terribly complicated. There was some twirling and a few back and forth steps. Bri watched the footwork, and could tell that Carrie, Marco, Lisette, and Wayne were more uniform, but also unique in their own styles somehow. Because of Frank’s height, he’d pick Noel up off the ground to spin her around, and her laughter brought a smile to her mother’s face as she watched on from the crowd.

After the dance, there was some more time for the townsfolk to visit, along with a small dessert of strawberry shortcakes. All of the farmers had contributed to the strawberries , and Bri couldn’t help but notice Dessie was watching on with glittering eyes as everyone enjoyed the treat. Once everyone had finished with the dessert, the final dance took place.

“Alright everyone, this is the final dance,” Megan announced to the crowd. “Time to pick your partners!”

Bri felt the butterflies in her stomach and almost a light headedness. Her mouth went fuzzy as she tried to convince herself that it was now or never. But, she couldn’t find Ford anywhere.

_Did he leave?_

When she asked a few people if they had seen him, they said they hadn’t, but not to worry about it because the doctor rarely stayed for the entire festival since he’d have to set up the clinic for emergency patients that night or the day after.

“Some people party a little too hard,” Peter, one of the townspeople from the big meeting told her.

_Ugh, why didn’t I just ask him earlier?_

For some reason, she could feel her eyes moistening.

_Oh come on, Bri, don’t be silly. Don’t cry._

She took a few deep breaths then joined up with Lisette and Carrie to watch the last dance. The final dancers were Colin with Hector, Brad and Miranda, and Megan with a lady that lived just on the outskirts of town.

“Where’s Ford?” Carrie whispered.

“I think he left, I couldn’t find him,” Bri whispered back.

“Oh, Bri, I’m sorry,” Lisette told her. “We were really hoping you two could dance together.”

“I just felt out of place,” Bri explained. “I don’t think he knows that everyone knows, and I thought he might not want to dance with me in front of everyone.”

“There’s always next year,” Carrie put a hand on Bri’s shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up, hun.”

After the last dance, the festival started to wind down. Bri helped take down some of the decorations, and soon the festival grounds were back to their normal selves. As the sun began to set, a full moon lit up the area, and millions of stars twinkled above her.

“I can lock up if you’d like Megan. I’ll return the keys to you in the morning,” she told her.

Megan agreed and wished her a pleasant evening.

Bri wasn’t ready to leave yet, though. She sat on the bare stage and closed her eyes. It had been a fun day, but she couldn’t help but feel ridiculous for not asking Ford to dance with her.

“The worst that would have happened, is he would have said no,” she thought out loud.

As she sat and listened, she could hear footsteps approaching her. When she opened her eyes, she could see Ford standing in front of her.

“Ford?” she gasped. “What are you doing here? Did you forget something?”

“I…” Ford’s voice trailed off. “I did. That’s why I left. There was…something I wanted to give you, and I’m afraid I wasn’t ready to give it to you with so many people around.”

“Hm?”

She then realized that Ford was holding a small box. It was a pale green box with a silver colored ribbon around it.

“I know we haven’t known each other for very long. But, if I don’t do this now, I may not be able to in the future. Part of the reason I was acting strangely when I saw you in Miranda’s shop was due to my concern that you would find out what I was doing. This object is something many individuals find important, but you are more than just important to me.”

Ford paused, trying to find the right words.

“You are not like anyone else I have ever known, Bri. So, how could I with good conscience give you something run of the mill to show you what you mean to me?”

He sat down next to her and then handed her the box.

“This is for you, Bri.”

Her hands felt sweaty, that fuzzy mouth feeling, the lightheadedness, the butterflies, they were all coming back. She thought she knew what might be in this box, but she tried to stay calm. She removed the ribbon and the lid of the box, then looked at the object inside.

A fire opal stared back at her from inside the box.

“Ford…this is,” she started, thousands of thoughts flowing in and out of her mind.

“I… I love you, Bri,” he told her. “I know pendants usually have a white gem, but you are one of a kind, and I wanted to give you a one of a kind pendant. I…understand if you think this is moving too fast-“

Bri cut him off as she leaned on his shoulder and intertwined her fingers with his.

“I love you too, Ford.”

“Would you like to be my girlfriend?”

“Of course I would.”

Although Ford didn’t know it, Bri could hear Dessie jumping up and down squealing “YES! I KNEW IT!”

 


	35. Blueprints

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to begin work on the bridge!

When Ford walked Bri home that night, she could not stop smiling. They had sat on that stage for a good thirty minutes after he asked her to officially be his significant other. Dessie’s excitement at the turn of events did not die down, but after expressing her joy at the occasion, she did give them some privacy. They didn’t talk anymore on the stage, simply sat and enjoyed each other’s company as crickets came out to play their nightly songs. While the night air had been cool, having Ford by her side kept her comfortable. At one point, he had wrapped an arm around her, and they sat with their foreheads leaning on each other. She wondered if he had dozed off at all, but didn’t want to ruin the moment by moving away. But, of course, they did have chores to do the next day, so Ford gave her shoulder a squeeze and quietly stood and offered her a hand to stabilize her as she hopped off the stage. Fireflies flew about them as they walked back to Cronus farm, and the full moon lit the path adequately. With the little yellow lightning bugs flashing in the darkness and the crickets chirping a constant tune, Bri honestly felt the most at peace that she ever had during her time living here.

Upon reaching the farm, Ford gave her hand a squeeze as the corners of his lips curved upwards into one of those wonderful smiles that Bri had fallen for.

“Have a good night, Bri,” he wished her. “I’ll be here in a couple days to assist in any way I can while you and the others gather lumber for the bridge.”

“Thank you, Ford,” she smiled at him. “Good luck with your patients tomorrow.”

“And you with your farm work.”

The night had ended perfectly. The next morning, she was full of energy and ready to take on the day. After taking care of her crops, she moved onto the animals, who all seemed to sense that something was different.

“Iris, you won’t believe what happened last night,” she told the cow.

“Moo?”

“It was really amazing. Ford actually asked me to be his girlfriend!”

“Moo,” the cow vocalized, eyeing the brush in Bri’s hand.

“Sorry,” she apologized as she brushed the cow down, causing the bovine to close her eyes and happily moo from the massage the brush gave her.

Singer and the calf, who Bri had finally decided to name Atari, both waited to get their daily brushings.

“I don’t suppose either of you want to wait either,” Bri told them, as she first brushed down the alpaca, and then the calf.

“You’re getting big, Tari,” she said as the calf attempted to jump on her. “You’re not going to be able to jump up like that for much longer.”

The idea of the baby buffalo getting older made her feel that sad nostalgic feeling that someone usually gets when they smell something familiar from their childhood, or a certain memory comes to mind. She didn’t like the idea of the buffalo growing to be 2,000 pounds, and it almost brought a tear to her eye, but she took a deep breath and smiled at the calf.

“You’re a good boy, Tari.”

While taking care of Bep the chicken, she considered that it might be a good idea to find a rooster for Bep to breed with. After all, more chickens would mean more income for the farm. While money wasn’t everything, it was still vital for expanding her house, expanding the coop and barn, and getting more seeds for upcoming seasons. She decided to make a posting about looking for a rooster partner for Bep and place it on the Westown’s bulletin board.

Once the chores were done, Bri took a nice long shower and made herself an early lunch before cutting out long strips of orange cloth to tie around all the trees that could be chopped down the next day. She wanted to be sure that the ones they cut would offer enough sturdy lumber to put the bridge in top shape. Hector had let her know at the festival that he had some rope and harnesses to remove large branches from some of the taller softwood trees. The broadleaf trees were smaller and shorter, usually offering much smaller pieces of lumber that were ideal for small projects, but they needed something tougher than that. Frank had an old cart that could carry large amount of wood at once to bring to a central location once it was time to assemble the new bridge. As for the dimensions and blueprints, Ludus had agreed to inspect the old bridge with Bri today so they could work on the plans for the new one.

It was an eventful meeting. Ludus had far more knowledge on this subject than Bri did, and she learned quite a bit from him about how to plan everything out.

“It’s good practice to write down the true dimensions next to each line,” he explained. “You’ll probably have to copy the blueprint a few times.”

After helping her fine tune the blueprint, Bri was satisfied with it. The bridge needed to be much wider than the current one, not only to accommodate larger loads that merchants would bring into town, but also to put up a hand rail; something practical, but also aesthetically pleasing to the townsfolk and visitors. It also needed to be thicker than the current bridge so it would be strong enough to withhold more weight.

The following day was another early start, as Bri wanted to finish her normal chores long before everyone arrived. The first person to show was Wayne, who was also an early riser due to his mail route through the three towns.

“Have you eaten yet, Wayne?” Bri asked him.

“I had an omelette before I left this mornin,” he told her.

“That had to have been hours ago. I’m going to make some oatmeal and fruit, would you like some?”

“I’d appreciate that, thanks Bri.”

Bri thought she caught him eyeing the chain around her neck, but Ford had said he wasn’t ready to go public, so she kept the fire opal hidden under the neck of her blouse. Wayne didn’t say anything though, which she was thankful for.

She made a big pot of oatmeal and cut up various types of fruit, supplied honey and brown sugar in smaller bowls, then set up her table. When Hector and Frank arrived, they also sat down to some breakfast as Bri went over some of the plans.

“Right, so we’ll need more wood than we’ve got written down here, just in case some pieces don’t work out the way we hope. I went ahead and marked the trees that we can use with orange cloth, so that should make today a little easier.”

As they finished cleaning up from breakfast, Brad, Carrie, and Ford arrived as well. They had worked together to make a drink for everyone that would be hydrating while also keeping everyone’s electrolytes and sodium levels balanced.

The work was not easy in any capacity. Bri, being the smallest, was the best candidate for getting harnessed and lifted into the trees to remove the branches. That would have been fine, if she wasn’t terrified of heights. As Hector began to hoist her up into the tree, she thought she could see Ford trying not to have a heart attack about her possibly falling.

_Me too, Ford. Me too._

As she reached some stronger boughs, she yelled down that she was about to cut one of the limbs to be sure nobody would be standing under the tree. It was hard work to say the least. It took about 45 minutes before they could finally bring her down and start chopping down the tree. When she reached the ground again, the base off the tree was littered with boughs and branches covered in sap. Wayne tagged her out, as the next smallest individual, he would go up the next tree, while Hector and Frank worked on the trunk of the one she had finished scaling. She made her way to Brad, Carrie, and Ford to sit down and recover.

“Are you alright?” Ford asked her as he handed her one of the energy drinks.

“Yeah,” she breathed heavily. “Just… need… a second.”

“Be careful up there,” Carrie told her.

“You… bet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry that it has been so long since an update, it has been a crazy month for me. I'll should get an update out in August and hopefully September, but if I have to take a hiatus, please know I will be returning to this fic! It might be a little difficult because I'm having a baby at the end of September :D (assuming he doesn't make his grand entrance earlier!) There's been a lot of baby related stuff happening but on top of that just general life stuff. I don't know if I'm going to be leaving work a few weeks before due date or not, but if I do, I might backlog a bunch of chapters.
> 
> You're all amazing, thank you so much for sticking with me for this long! I really appreciate it!


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